McCluskey: Steel industry in crisis – Tories must set out plan to boost manufacturing

Len McCluskey gave a resounding welcome to Clive Lewis’s speech on Labour’s business strategy.

Highlighting the lack of plans from the Government, McCluskey said: “The Labour party has thrown down the gauntlet to the Conservative government by outlining a compelling vision of what an industrial strategy should look like.”

The general secretary of Unite added: “In contrast to the uncertainty and confusion offered by Tory ministers, the Labour party is showing it is serious about developing an industrial strategy which equips the UK for the Brexit challenges ahead and delivers an economy built on the creation of decent, secure jobs.”

“Prime Minister Theresa May and her government’s challenge is to now make good on its promise of an industrial strategy and spell out how it will support manufacturing and key foundation industries like our crisis hit steel sector.

He turned his focus to next week’s autumn statement, saying: “A failure to do so when the chancellor of exchequer Philip Hammond delivers his autumn statement next week, will only feed the growing uncertainty over the government’s lack of clarity and its shifty secrecy around Brexit, which is doing nothing to instil confidence for business and workers alike.

“Long-forgotten communities cannot rebuild on warm words, or worse the deliberate inaction that sees the Redcar steel works now rotting and many of its skilled workers on benefits.”