Factory heartlands must drive UK growth, says CBI
A productivity boom should be at the heart of Government plans to make Britain the most competitive economy in the world, business leaders have demanded.
The CBI has called for the Government to make the UK more open and innovative as it faces the challenges of new technologies in the workplace.
The demands are made in response to a consultation on the nation's industrial strategy which closes today.
The CBI has called for the Goverment to make the UK the more open and innovative as it faces the challenges of new technologies in the workplace.
The CBI suggests committing to targets on income levels, employment rates, income distribution and how economic activity is spread out in the UK.
And it wants an independent monitoring body, similar to the Office For Budget Responsibility, to measure progress, and an independent commissioner to ensure all regions have the power to enable them to grow.
Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the CBI, said: 'We must build on our knowledge base, drive a renaissance in our traditional heartlands of manufacturing and create a new wave of entrepreneurship by making the UK the easiest place to start and grow a business.
'By doing this we can raise productivity and improve lives in every community.'