Jobs and Growth

Debate between Austin Mitchell and Marcus Jones

Thursday 17th May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Austin Mitchell]

rose—

[Mr Jones]

I am not going to give way, because I do not have much time.

It is tempting to change course, but the low interest rates vindicate the Government’s strategy to date. The problem is that, while we are laying that foundation, the next area that we need to build on is being greatly restricted, owing to extremely low levels of confidence among the business community and consumers. Most people in this country are caught in the headlights of the oncoming eurozone crisis. We can all see it coming, and at the moment we are holding back. We desperately need a resolution to that crisis. It is going to be difficult but, one way or another, we need the certainty of knowing what is going to happen when we go into it and come out the other side. Only when we get over the problems that are undoubtedly coming down the track will confidence levels really start to shift.

In the meantime, the Government are working hard to create growth domestically, but that cannot afford to be based on short-termism. It must be based on long-term sustainability, and we need to rebalance the economy. We cannot simply rely on the service and retail sectors. They are massively important to the UK, but they have been completely sustained by private debt and Government spending. I know that the Opposition still think that that is a sustainable option, but we certainly do not.

We need to concentrate on sectors that can create real wealth within the economy so that it can be distributed and we can create jobs from it. We need to concentrate on sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. I welcome the inclusion in the Queen’s Speech of the proposal for the Groceries Code Adjudicators Bill, which I hope will make the farming industry more sustainable as we go forward.

We need to build on what the Government have done for industry by reducing corporation tax and introducing an extension of above-the-line research and development tax credits. The regional growth fund and enterprise zones are starting to build on the resurgence of British manufacturing, and we are starting to see a real build in R and D investment in our manufacturing companies, which was previously lacking. We now have that factor working in our favour. We also have far better management than we have ever had in our motor manufacturing companies, while we also have far more moderate unions than we had in the past.

Those three factors help to explain why we are seeing this resurgence and are now in a positive surplus with our car manufacturing exports, which has not been achieved since 1976. Back in 1976, as many Members will know, we were absolutely blighted: we were blighted by difficult industrial relations; we were blighted by poor management; and we were blighted by a real lack of investment in R and D. In the short time available, I urge the Government to try to maintain this resurgence in British car manufacturing industry, so that we can see the west midlands go from strength to strength, while supporting jobs in the retail and wider service sector as we go forward.