In my roles as Member of Parliament for Llanelli and as Labour’s Shadow Minister for Exports, I am keen to meet with, and listen to, businesses to discuss the challenges they face and find out what help they need to survive, grow and create more sustainable, long term jobs.
We are crying out for a new UK government that is pro-business, pro-worker and pro-trade, and has a plan to boost export-led growth across the UK. One that can provide stability, delivering decent jobs and livelihoods at home whilst also leading the way as a force for good in the world.
A revolution in technology. The race to net zero. British people have what we need to succeed: scientific and academic excellence, a skilled workforce, brilliant businesses. What we need from Government is leadership, clear strategy and certainty when it comes to making important economic and investment decisions.
On a recent visit I made to the Gestamp factory in Felinfoel, I saw the progress made there over the last decade or so with cutting edge technology and a committed workforce developing the products of the future.
When we think of electric vehicles, we tend to focus mainly on the huge batteries, and we are often unaware of the vital contribution of the development of the tougher, lighter bodywork parts manufactured right here at Gestamp in Llanelli, which contribute so much to the safety and energy efficiency of vehicles.
This is a critical time for investment decisions in the automotive industry, as companies decide where to site their new production lines. The United States Inflation Reduction Act is a game changer in providing incentives for companies to invest in green technologies across the Atlantic, and similar moves by major European countries pose real challenges for the UK. We urgently need the UK Government to step in with similar packages to make the UK the destination of choice for firms like Gestamp and safeguard existing local jobs.
And that’s before we even come to energy prices, which are much higher in the UK than elsewhere, and have a significant impact on the ability of our manufacturing industry to compete. It’s high time for an accelerated drive to renewables and reform of the energy market too.
This is just one of many examples not only in Llanelli but across the whole of the UK where the current UK Government is leaving us falling behind the rest of the world. Our exports are down, there is a gloomy outlook for the immediate future and so many issues resulting from Brexit remain unresolved.
Small and medium sized businesses, in particular, are often struggling to find information and support and are just concluding exporting is too complicated and too risky. Practical difficulties at borders, huge delays, lorries queueing for hours and the extra costs and administration now required all make it more difficult.
Whilst the current Tory UK Government seems to be more concerned about saving themselves rather than saving our economy, Labour has already set out a vision for a dynamic, trading Britain that seizes opportunities and thrives.
You may remember that last year we announced Labour’s climate investment pledge of £28bn a year. It will be a catalyst to drive innovation, creating the jobs of the future and helping save the planet and part of that vision is to create a nationwide network of Climate Export Hubs.
The hubs will work with businesses, universities and other innovators, to take UK climate science innovations and export them to the world. These would be export hubs to support regions across the country – helping to create skilled jobs and opportunities nationwide.
Hand in hand with the growth strategy is the aim of Making Britain a clean energy superpower. Delivering carbon zero electricity by 2030, investing billions in our economy. Part of that are our plans for a new publicly owned energy company GB energy to drive investment in renewables.
Labour also wants trade deals that support our communities, increase exports, and creates jobs, as well as signing trade deals that promote British values across the world.
In contrast to the Conservatives, we have set out the framework for our industrial strategy, and we will continue to work on providing more detail on this and our trade strategy over the next few months.
As part of that, I will continue to visit local businesses, big and small, to ensure that I can find out directly from them exactly what they need to thrive and when they think that Governments and politicians should step in to make changes.
