The lost origins of industrial growth

Article

Any realistic growth plan should start by accepting that the UK lacks the sinews, networks and public perceptions of a genuine industrial society.'

Former trade and industry under secretary Chris Benjamin provides a critical review of British industrial policy over the past 30 years and lays out the scale of the challenge of staying competitive in the modern global economy.

'Amid the clamour for a 'plan for growth', or a 'plan B', or even a 'plan A+', it is generally forgotten that British industry has been losing international competitiveness for at least three decades. It is perverse to rely on the institutional structures and attitudes that have contributed to this decline to reverse the trend.

'A genuine growth strategy needs to junk conventional policy approaches, and replace them - to quote a senior policy adviser in Singapore - with a government team smarter than the smartest captains of industry.'

Related items

  1. Aerial views of Manchester skyline of new skyscrapers

    Devolution that delivers: Fiscal power for regional growth

    The UK is one of the most centralised countries in the developed world, and one of the most regionally unequal.
  2. Close-up Of Woman Sitting On Sofa Texting Message On Smartphone

    A better deal: Tackling the NEET crisis

    Around a million young people in the UK are now not in education, employment or training (NEET), the highest number for more than a decade.
  3. A diverse group of neighbours going on a group walk in a residential area, warpped up in warm coats

    From strangers to citizens: Membership and belonging in an age of migration

    Who should become a British citizen in an age of growing mobility and migration?