Richard Burden MP: Fighting for a fair deal for everyone in Birmingham Northfield

1 March 2010

Backing a bright future for UK manufacturing -

Today is the first day of Manufacturing Week, a campaign organised by EEF to celebrate the success of manufacturing and highlight why manufacturing is so important to our future. The week is part of an ongoing campaign - We ♥ Manufacturing – aimed at debunking the popular myth that the UK has lost its manufacturing base.

Representing a seat in Birmingham I know how important manufacturing is to our region. In the last century, manufacturing made the Midlands. Today it remains an essential part of the glue that holds our economy and its skills base together. And modern manufacturing is a vital part of our country's future.

We all know that the manufacturing sector has been badly hit by the economic downturn. At times like this, government intervention can make a real difference – as with the scrappage scheme, which has boosted car sales, protected jobs and helped the car industry at a time when it needed it most.

Government needs to learn lessons too. If government intervention is to be effective it also needs to move as quickly as possible.

It is important that we continue to support manufacturing and invest in new industries and future jobs to ensure a bright future for UK manufacturing.