“THE problem with the UK is we don’t make anything anymore.”

This is often said by people as a truth and it has somehow become something of a norm to say.

Data published this week by Make UK has confirmed the total contrary.

The UK is now the world’s 8th largest manufacturing economy. To put that into some sort of context: our UK manufacturing sector employs 2.6 million people and has an annual output of £224bn.

Or in other terms, the UK economy is 0.6% larger than pre-Covid levels. So the news is encouraging.

As the dragon of inflation is cowed, pressure on interest rates is easing. That is good news for all and points to an encouraging future for us all.

The Government is committed to grow all sectors of the economy but we will see, I am certain, growth in clean energy and the life sciences.

The latter, among other sectors, was given a terrific boost as we rejoined the EU’s Horizon scheme. This supports collaboration between researchers and universities and pulls together expertise and cutting-edge innovation.

The former was certainly assisted as the Energy Bill concluded its Commons’ stages.

Regular readers know of my commitment to this issue. I was asked recently at a local meeting whether, with the cost-of-living pressures, we could afford to continue decarbonising our energy and industrial sector.

My reply was clear: I understand the pressures on family budgets but, as referenced above, the twin battles with high inflation and rising interest rates look to be being won, that increases in wages would therefore start to feel more meaningful – in short that the cost-of-living issue was a temporary one.

Climate change is not temporary. It will only get worse unless we do more.

My answer to my interrogator was that we simply can’t afford to do nothing when it comes to climate change.

If we are to survive, we have no choice. And it is a false comparison to say – it’s either a growing economy or tackling climate change. The jobs and products of the near future are all going to be predicated on low carbon and renewables.

It is the trajectory of the international economy.

No one is investing in R&D to make the petrol motor faster, efforts are concentrated on making electric vehicles travel further, planes to fly greener and homes and businesses to be more energy efficient.

And from that growth comes to noble aims – a cleaner greener environment AND a growing, innovation leading economy.

That growth then delivers the tax £ for wages, defence and our social services.

That is, as begun at the top of this article, good news for all of us across North Dorset.

Unrelated directly to the above, the good news, as confirmed to me by Dorset Council, is that there are no schools in our area with a concrete issue.

SIMON HOARE
Conservative MP for North Dorset