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The organisation for UK manufacturers has criticised recent announcements from the Prime Minister
Make UK, an organisation dedicated to supporting UK manufacturers, has reacted to recent announcements made by Rishi Sunak at the Conservative Party Conference.
At the recent Conservative Party Conference, which took place between October 1st and October 4th, 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a number of initiatives and changes which would affect UK businesses.
One of the biggest announcements was the scrapping of the Manchester leg of the HS2 project which was communicated as a ‘tough’ but necessary decision by the Prime Minister to instead focus money and resources and other transport projects.
Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK, comments: “Whilst the announcement of investment in Northern transport infrastructure is important and very welcome, the decision to end HS2 in Birmingham is deeply frustrating as this should not have been a binary choice.
“The strategic benefits of linking up London, Birmingham, and Manchester was not simply about passenger transport, but about creating substantial new capacity for the movement of goods and freight on today’s over-stretched network. Failing to invest for the future is something we are likely to regret in the longer term.”
Phipson believes that this trend of “giving up” on half-finished jobs sends a troubling message to investors especially when competitors are far ahead of the UK in regards to infrastructure projects.
HS2 was largely seen as a way of better connecting the North and South divide, which would create better ways for the likes of signage businesses to work throughout the UK and also source materials in a more practical way.
Sunak also announced changes to the post-16 education system with a new qualification called the Advanced British Standard.
This proposal would mean replacing and combining A-Levels and T-Levels and mean pupils will learn English and Maths up until 18 rather than 16.
The system would see students study a minimum of five subjects at different levels, or four subjects if they choose to apply for industry placements in certain occupations.
Phipson says: “Driving up the quality of education and giving the same parity of esteem to vocational learning as academic pathways is critical. However, the creation of a new qualification risks muddling the waters further.
“Instead of introducing a new qualification or standard, Government should focus on making T levels work and getting apprenticeship starts back to the levels since before the introduction of the Levy. With starts in manufacturing around 38% lower, the Prime Minister has missed a major opportunity to fix this flawed system.”
Make UK aims to enable manufacturers to connect, share, and solve problems together through meetings, events, and advisory boards. Businesses and manufacturers can get involved via the Make UK website.
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