Ed Milliband is right on manufacturing, says Unite

Commenting on Ed Milliband's speech to the EEF's manufacturing conference today (6 March 2012), Unite's assistant general secretary, Tony Burke said:

"Ed Milliband's speech on supporting manufacturing was spot on. It reflects many of the same arguments we have consistently raised with the coalition, whose approach, all too often, has been to watch from the sidelines as our manufacturing base withers.

"Ed is right when he says there needs to be a strategic investment bank to support manufacturing. Ed is also right when he says the government should promote long-termism and intervene to support industry where the government can help.

"We agree with Ed it is time we took a much closer look at the German model for manufacturing which has been a success story. Being patriotic about British manufacturing is not about going back to the 1970s 'buy British' slogans. It is about recognising that the government has a duty to stand up for UK based manufacturing, whether it is British or foreign owned. Instead the Tory-led government failed Sheffield Forgemasters, it failed Bombardier and it is failing BAE Systems. "