Following Rishi Sunak’s surprise decision to call a general election on the 4th July, this week’s poll asks which of the two main parties you believe will best serve the interests of UK industry?
With the Conservatives currently trailing Labour by 20 percentage points, Keir Starmer - who leads a Labour party that has been transformed since its election defeat five years ago - is widely expected to become the next prime minister.
Although Labour has so far been relatively quiet on specific policy details, it has gone to great lengths to stress its pro-business credentials and outlined plans to support businesses and address productivity issues through its Business Partnership for Growth document.
Conservative policy meanwhile is no less opaque, despite the party having been in power for the past 14 years.
Theresa May’s much-vaunted Industrial Strategy was abandoned by Boris Johnson in 2021 whilst the party’s most significant policy intervention - the decision to call a referendum and leave the EU - is regarded by most in the manufacturing and engineering community as - at best - a major inconvenience, and at worst an existential threat to businesses survival.
It’s hardly a glowing record. Although it should be noted that Labour is also refusing to engage with this economic elephant in the room.
In this weeks’ poll we’re asking which party you believe would be best for UK industry, or whether in fact you don’t have much faith in either of them.
Cast your vote below, and join the discussion at the bottom of the page to expand on your thoughts and let us know what policies you would like to see from the UK’s next government, or indeed whether you think one of the other parties looking to make gains in July’s election offers a more compelling vision for industry’s future.
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