In the first episode of Talking Manufacturing, Brendan Chilton speaks to Stephen Kinnock about how the decline in manufacturing is impacting local communities, particularly his constituency of Aberavon. They focus on why this decline has happened, how we can reverse it, and the special role steel has to play in the UK economy. 

In the second episode of Talking Manufacturing, John Mills, founder of consumer goods company JML and the Institute for Prosperity, talks to Brendan Chilton about how we can encourage more investment in manufacturing. They discuss why the exchange rate is so powerful for the industry, why economic reform is needed, and how we can achieve it.

In the third episode of Talking Manufacturing, we are joined by Sir Vince Cable for a discussion on Britain’s industrial strategy over the years. Listen in for insights on industry financing, reshoring, and the position of the UK on the world stage, at a time when uncertainty is rife. 

For the fourth instalment of our series, we sat down with John Penrose to hear his thoughts on the future of Britain’s manufacturing sector. Brendan and John discuss the role AI could play in the sector, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and how manufacturing compares to service industries. Listen in to hear how we can get ahead and be at the leading edge of new technologies in manufacturing and beyond.

This month we are joined by Emma Lewell-Buck, MP for South Shields, to discuss the main issues with the state of the UK's manufacturing sector. Education is at the core of fixing the problem, and as it stands, there is not enough talk of the sector as a viable career option, and children are not being equipped with the practical skills needed. This episode touches on green energy as the future of manufacturing, the cost-of-living crisis, and the lack of willingness from government to commit to the sector.

Joining us all the way from New Zealand is former Member of Parliament and member of the Labour Party’s Shadow Cabinet, Bryan Gould. The exchange rate has been a contentious economic issue for decades and has been argued to affect the manufacturing sector significantly. Bryan and Brendan discuss the state of the sector, the balance of payments problem, and weigh up the UK against other economies including China and Japan. 

For this episode, we took to Parliament to meet with MP for Hitchin and Harpenden, Bim Afolami. Delving right into the heart of the sector, Brendan and Bim discuss why community is so important for manufacturing and how the people and places have always been so tightly connected. They also discuss the more technical side of the issues at hand, including how the sector can provide the workers needed for new green jobs, and how we can incentivise more long-term equity finance for British manufacturing.