Local Enterprise Partnerships must support SE manufacturing

Support for manufacturing in the south east must be a priority for the Local Enterprise Partnerships that are set to replace the regional development agency. EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, has responded to the government’s plans for Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) by saying that business will need clarity about their purpose if companies are to engage fully with these new bodies. They must also have strong business leadership. “Rebalancing the UK economy is of paramount importance. The south east has more manufacturing companies than any other region, with more than 18,000 manufacturers contributing £18.2b to the regional and national economies and employing 289,000 people,” says Jeff Alexander, Head of External Affairs for EEF in the south east. “It is very important that the LEPs that are established are focused on creating an economic environment that is supportive of manufacturing growth. In the south east, this is essential in order to maintain and grow the international competitiveness of our strong manufacturing base and the contribution it makes to the UK economy.” ENDS Contacts: Jeff Alexander, EEF. Tel: 07787224676 EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation is the representative voice of manufacturing in the UK. The EEF has a growing membership of almost 6,000 companies of all sizes, employing some 900,000 people from every sector of engineering, manufacturing, engineering construction and technology-based industries.

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