Industrial Strategy launched

“We welcome the launch of the industrial strategy today, which represents a big step in the right direction after long years of neglect and inertia under the previous Conservative Government. It’s clear that we now have a government which is serious about revitalising Britain’s manufacturing base and delivering growth across the nations and regions of the UK.

“The strategy’s emphasis on skills and apprenticeships is absolutely vital, as is its goal of upskilling the workforce to harness the potential of new technologies and AI. We know that this is a priority issue for our members – including those working in the finance sector, where the growth of AI presents unique challenges  – and we look forward to working with the government to seize these opportunities for the future.

“We welcome the government’s commitment to improving the Supercharger scheme, which will help our steel producers deal with longstanding issues with network costs. The issue of energy costs remains a real burden for our steel sector. Looking ahead there is further work to be done on wholesale energy prices, which remain much higher in the UK than in leading competitor nations in continental Europe.”