Commenting on the speech by the Prime Minister today on re-shoring, Ms Lee Hopley, Chief Economist at EEF, the manufacturers' organisation, said:

"This was a positive speech by the Prime Minister and an endorsement of the industrial strengths we have in the UK. Manufacturers are winning business on the basis of meeting customer requirement on quality, service and speed to market. To make this happen some companies are rethinking the shape of their business and supply chains and bringing activity closer to home. First and foremost, the UK must provide a competitive cost base, skills in sufficient numbers and, certainty about the returns over the lifetime of those investments if we are to secure the benefits of this trend.

"The Prime Minister set out some of what the government is doing to achieve this but there is still work to be done. Not least in our engagement with Europe. His focus on a pro-business, pro-growth agenda in Europe is welcome, the UK needs to ensure it keeps that agenda on track to make greater levels of re-shoring back to Europe and the UK a reality."

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