Trade groups lobby against UK tax rises

24 February 2005 – The group of Nine Associations in the UK has once again delivered a clear message to Chancellor Gordon Brown: do not increase taxes on the manufacturing industry.

BPF (British Plastics Federation) director-general Peter Davis, speaking on behalf of the Nine Associations, said: “Like most independent observers, we are concerned that public borrowing will overshoot by £11bn a year. To meet this deficit, we urge the Chancellor not to increase taxes on the manufacturing sector at this time.”

Full story

As anyone in the manufacturing industry knows, manufacturing is dying a slow and painful death in this country, and has been for a long while. Hopefully the chancellor will take this request onboard and be more proactive in his approach to safeguarding this vital part of our economy. At least until the real costs of outsourcing to China & elsewhere, finally hit home to the money men, and it starts to come back. The first signs of this are already happening