Recently, I wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon. Rachel Reeves MP. I conveyed to her a message from someone who, twenty-five years ago, made a deliberate decision to make Britain his own home and the home of his business.
In 2008, at the height of the financial crisis, when factories were shuttering and confidence was collapsing, I bought my first British factory. Last year, while many others were downsizing or leaving the country altogether, I purchased my second.
I did this because I believe in Britain. I believe in British workers. And I believe that manufacturing still belongs at the centre of this nation’s future. We provide skilled, well-paid jobs, jobs that support families, strengthen communities and underpin national resilience. We stayed when others left. We invested when others withdrew. Our loyalty to this country has been steadfast.
But today, I must say something uncomfortable: our loyalty alone is no longer enough.
Without us, modern Britain cannot function
The industry I represent is one the nation cannot live without. Without cable manufacturers, there is no digital infrastructure, no AI revolution, no energy transition, no rail network, no ports, no hospitals, no defence capability.
Everything depends on us.
And if industries like mine falter, every national strategy built atop that foundation collapses behind it.
The Current Economic Burden Was Created by Political Choices
Those of us in industry understand the truth behind Britain’s current economic difficulties:
- Brexit, driven by false assumptions and unrealistic promises, has caused deep and lasting damage to exporters and strategic manufacturers.
- Lockdown policies, despite their intentions, shattered supply chains and burdened the nation with unprecedented levels of debt.
Industry has borne these pressures with discipline and loyalty. We recognise the scale of the challenge that the current government inherited.
Yet for that very reason, the warning must be clear:
Do not repeat the mistakes of the past.
What Britain must do now
1. Protect the industries rooted in Britain
Manufacturers cannot relocate at will. Once a factory closes, the capability is lost forever. Britain needs:
- Full expensing locked in for at least a decade;
- Stable, simplified R&D incentives;
- A genuine 10–15-year industrial strategy.
2. Reduce the cost of the State
Industry creates value; excessive bureaucracy creates debt. Public-sector pay and headcount must reflect productivity, not political expediency.
3. Build a sovereign British AI ecosystem
Relying entirely on foreign AI is a strategic mistake. Manufacturing, defence, energy and transport require a national AI infrastructure.
4. Reform planning and grid access
Industry cannot wait half a decade for a grid connection or a planning decision. Delay is its own form of taxation.
5. Shift taxation away from work and investment
If taxes must rise, raise them on consumption and CO₂—not on the engines of growth.
6. Follow a genuine Golden Rule
Borrow only to invest in productive capacity, not to support permanent bureaucratic expansion.
A Moment of truth for Britain’s leadership
The country stands at a fork in the road, and so does its political leadership. The choice is stark:
Support the industries that create jobs, investment and exports, and help pull Britain out of its cycle of stagnation;
or
Repeat the financial mistakes of the past, deepen the crisis, and fuel the frustration that empowers extremist populism.
If the productive economy is punished, the political centre will collapse—and the vacuum will not be filled by moderates, but by the loudest voices on the extremes.
This is a historic moment. History is watching.
Final Appeal
I have invested my life, my future and my faith in Britain. I bought factories when others closed them. I stayed when others left. I continue to provide good, stable jobs in a sector the nation cannot function without.
But loyalty must be mutual.
Give British industry the respect and space it needs, and we will deliver—as we always have.
Weaken us now, and the cost will be far greater than any budget line on a spreadsheet.
Britain has the talent, the capability and the people to succeed. What it needs is the courage to make the right choices.