Make UK responds to Chancellor’s growth speech
07.09.2026
Chancellor John Healey set out the Government’s ambitions for UK growth in a speech at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry on Monday, attended by Make UK CEO Stephen Phipson.
Responding to the speech, Make UK said manufacturers welcome the focus on growth, but action is now needed to tackle the high costs of doing business, including energy, to create the conditions for investment, reindustrialisation and good growth.
Read Stephen's response below:
We welcome the commitment to growth that the Chancellor has made today. But our members will need the Budget to move beyond rhetoric to start solving the issues they are facing right now. The UK's industrial energy costs remain as some of the highest in the world, preventing manufacturers from making the type of investments needed to drive the growth the Chancellor wants.
“The Government needs to match words to actions to create the conditions for businesses to invest, innovate and create the high-value jobs the UK needs. We need to see a reduction in the burdens of doing business now.
