Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers

When launching Unite’s manufacturing strategy, 2020 Vision, recently, I made the point that the coalition government has no long-term strategy on UK manufacturing and is doing more damage to UK manufacturing than any previous Conservative government.

Nuclear-cask The decision by David Cameron to isolate the UK from the rest of Europe and cave in to the Tory Party headbangers may further damage our already hard pressed manufacturing sector.

The right wing politicians and media who are rejoicing at the decision and those that argue not having a seat at the table with the other 26 doesn’t matter are wrong. After the party will come the hangover.

Now more than ever, we need strong links with Europe as our manufacturing base continues to shrink – and at a time when we could be heading back to recession. Economically, the UK could now face disengagement from the £16 trillion trading bloc.

Our annual trade with our EU neighbours ammounts to between £160 billion and £185 billion – some 50 to 60 per cent of imports and exports. Compare this to the £33 billion we do in business with the USA – 15 per cent – £5 billion with China – 2.3 per cent – and £4 billion with Canada coming to 1.6 per cent.

Companies with large skilled workforces across Europe with manufacturing plants in the UK will think twice about further investment in UK manufacturing as we sit, irrelevant, on the periphery of Europe. Those companies may also have their arms twisted by their own governments as anti-British sentiment grows.

Those Tories and the media that say we can exist on a “trade only” deal with the EU are deluded.

The euro is, for many UK manufacturing companies, the currency in which they do their business and the UK will now have have no say about the euro restructuring, or on any fiscal or regulatory arrangments and trade rules.

Our trading relationships with the EU, the buying and selling our manufactured goods, are built on regulations and standards – all of which will now be jepordised. Indeed, Cameron’s decison could mean less trade, not more. Over a period of time, the other 26 countries will shape industrial policy regardless of what the UK thinks.

UK manufacturing and its workers, whose skills keep the wheels of industry turning, need stability and a clear strategy for working with the member states – instead we will face uncertainty and instability.

Cameron said this was about protecting the UK interests. In reality it was about his own narrow party political interests and about protectection of the hedge funds, the investment banks and the speculators in casino of the Square Mile at the expense of the 94,500 square miles of the rest of the UK – the real world, of real manufacturing companies, employing real people.

So much for re-balancing the economy!

See also:

• Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland savage Cameron’s anti-EU strategy - Ed Jacobs, December 12th 2011

• How Cameron traded influence for isolation – Ben Fox, December 12th 2011

• The view from abroad: The day Britain locked itself out - Alex Hern, December 9th 2011

• A new strategy to help save UK manufacturing - Tony Burke, December 5th 2011

• Public sector jobs are growing in London and the South East; here’s why - Ed Cox and Will Cook, November 11th 2011

http://twitter.com/bevclack/status/146186697741307904 Beverley Clack

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/020cvLqM
http://twitter.com/tianran/status/146187203142365184 Randeep Ramesh

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/020cvLqM
http://twitter.com/labour52rose/status/146188716392718337 Alex Braithwaite

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers http://t.co/RFWzIyOs
http://twitter.com/chaabanrabih/status/146189735797329920 Rabih Chaaban

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/020cvLqM
http://twitter.com/politicalplanet/status/146190185363812353 Political Planet

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers: Tony Burke details what we should expect from Cam… http://t.co/NfhlhZ6D
http://twitter.com/tonyburke2010/status/146191595635609600 Tony Burke

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/HBKbDybJ
http://twitter.com/chrisgudgin/status/146193032167948288 Chris Gudgin

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/020cvLqM
http://twitter.com/simonthewriter/status/146197280389734401 Simon Cheshire

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/uhGm8Mwv
http://twitter.com/yrotitna/status/146198941699026944 Juan Voet

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/020cvLqM
http://twitter.com/trakgalvis/status/146199163808395265 Trakgalvis

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/OpE0xlso
http://twitter.com/ciarannaidoo/status/146199257857273856 CiaranNaidoo

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/HBKbDybJ
http://twitter.com/captaincrikey/status/146203193062334465 Sean PdeC

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/020cvLqM
http://twitter.com/captaincrikey/status/146203193062334465 Sean PdeC

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/020cvLqM
http://twitter.com/goodoldmj/status/146205235768082433 Martin Johnston

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/020cvLqM
http://twitter.com/goodoldmj/status/146205235768082433 Martin Johnston

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/020cvLqM
Anonymous

Your form of rebalancing is the same as your form of redistribution. Make one group poorer at the expense of another.

It doesn’t increase the pie.

The question to ask is why manufacturing isn’t pulling its weight.
13 Spitfire

Does it not bother you that the majority of the public support Cameron and his decision and not yours? Does it not bother you that they favour democracy and the representative sort, where Labour’s position, the SNP’s position and the LibDem’s position is anathema to the general opinion which is sick and tired of the EU?

Why are you so self-righteous?
http://twitter.com/labour_dave/status/146275384948822017 David Marsden

Another gr8 q on how Cameron has sold out manufacturing to protect the City fat cats who bankroll him; more here: http://t.co/LIdSDeMR
http://twitter.com/jos21/status/146275538749759490 Jos Bell

Another gr8 q on how Cameron has sold out manufacturing to protect the City fat cats who bankroll him; more here: http://t.co/LIdSDeMR
http://twitter.com/karenpbuckmp/status/146281529075707904 Karen Buck MP

Another gr8 q on how Cameron has sold out manufacturing to protect the City fat cats who bankroll him; more here: http://t.co/LIdSDeMR
http://twitter.com/don_dapper/status/146283888854048770 Maps Man

Another gr8 q on how Cameron has sold out manufacturing to protect the City fat cats who bankroll him; more here: http://t.co/LIdSDeMR
http://twitter.com/morosychristios/status/146286025357012993 Miles Douglas

Another gr8 q on how Cameron has sold out manufacturing to protect the City fat cats who bankroll him; more here: http://t.co/LIdSDeMR
http://twitter.com/oilywaters/status/146286247516717057 H. O.

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers http://t.co/9e49LPSN
http://twitter.com/rowllypowlly/status/146308024741535745 Rowland Paul Hill

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/020cvLqM
http://twitter.com/cybergraeme/status/146320977222049792 Graeme Barclay

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers http://t.co/zGUI28r7
http://twitter.com/fredacowell/status/146353878810624000 Frederick Cowell

Too right. Abt. the current crop of Tory's @leftfootfwd: Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers http://t.co/4znx9CLC
http://twitter.com/chaabanrabih/status/146363940572626944 Rabih Chaaban

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers, writes @unitetheunion's @TonyBurke2010: http://t.co/020cvLqM
http://twitter.com/Newsbot9 Newsbot9

They do? Great, post one STUDY showing this.
http://twitter.com/janefagray/status/146504018770935808 Jane Gray

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers http://t.co/nW3Bv8c4
http://twitter.com/themanufacturer/status/146509427879583744 The Manufacturer

RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers http://t.co/nW3Bv8c4
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/12/david-cameron-eu-summit-failure/ What exactly did Cameron get from the EU summit? | Left Foot Forward

[...] Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers – Tony Burke, December 12th [...]
Fact-Checker

Wholly predictable, near-hysterical and frankly laughable response from Tony Burke.

No idea where he pulled those trade figures from, but it certainly wasn’t the ONS. Still, why let facts get in the way of a good old-fashioned ‘evil Tories’ rant – gives the bum-scratching punters on LFF exactly what they want on a Tuesday morning!
http://twitter.com/ben_cave/status/146564321953067009 Ben Cave

Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/q2Za4GZa @leftfootfwd
http://twitter.com/themanufacturer/status/146567898494812160 The Manufacturer

RT @janefagray: RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers http://t.co/4rdu0I4C
http://twitter.com/rybocpurchasing/status/146569775466807296 Nicola Hussey

RT @janefagray: RT @leftfootfwd: Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers http://t.co/4rdu0I4C
monsford bansfoot

its easy to mistake daily mail readers for the general public
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/01/manufacturings-recovery-ends-before-it-starts/ Manufacturing’s recovery ends before it starts | Left Foot Forward

[...] also: • Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers – Tony Burke, December 12th [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2012/01/we-need-to-save-manufacturing-but-manufacturing-wont-save-us/ We need to save manufacturing, but manufacturing won’t save us | Left Foot Forward

[...] Cameron sells out UK manufacturing for his loony backbenchers – Tony Burke, December 12th [...]