The CEC presented a special paper on Industrial Strategy and Infrastructure. It argues that the UK needs an industrial policy, that needs to be public sector led, with appropriate [public] ownership models and central planning.
On energy, we still need gas, therefore the government deadlines are unrealistic. The paper calls for the agreement on the Sizewell C and calls for progress on the nuclear renewal programme.
It points out the labour government’s promises to ban offsea exploration will effectively lead to more imports, and while they don’t make the point, those imports are likely to come from Norway which is still exploring for fuel in the North Sea, although I didn’t think we burnt north-sea oil, I thought we re-exported it.
What they say on defence is surprisingly progressive although possibly over committed to ‘exquisite’ weapons, i.e. nuclear subs and warships, for obvious reasons. For more of my thougts see my SDR critique, or more briefly on bluesky, which is odd because the paper recognises that the UK needs to wean itself of the US supply arms supply chain and the US defence umbrella.
They conclude, “to this end, GMB urges the adoption of: A national plan for industry and investment., The introduction of progressive, redistributive, taxation, A true partnership between private and public investment, that puts well-paid, union jobs at its heart., A programme of nationalisation and government stakes in strategic industries, beginning with steel (with Scunthorpe at the centre) but coming to encompass water and utilities, together with transport., the rejection of the failed policies, and savage economic ideology, of neoliberalism and the adoption of industrial co-ordination that puts workers voices, skills, and insights at the epicentre of national renewal and prosperity.
This blog article is best read with [some of], the following documents, the final agenda document, GMB’s Congress page which contains all the documents and the video index is available as a playlist or as individual videos at the GMB’s youtube channel. This article has been back dated to about the time of occurrence.