Buy British commitment call

Unite Executive Council (EC) chair Andy Green posed a powerful question in a special Q&A session following the first secretary Louise Haigh’s speech to TUC Congress.

Haigh addressed Congress on Tuesday (September 15) in place of prime minister Andy Burnham, who had to cancel his address following the death of his father.

Haigh gave a wide-ranging speech covering the action the Labour government has so far taken to improve the lives of working people and their communities, as well as the plans it has in store to go even further.

She touched on the need to put guardrails on AI, the action the government has taken alongside international partners on illegal settlements in Gaza, as well changes to employment laws that will give workers greater workplace protections. Haigh also spoke of how deindustrialisation has blighted local communities, and why strengthening the powers of local councils, cities and regions was the key to bringing them back.

In the Q&A session that followed, Unite EC chair Andy Green said that after a change in leadership “Labour is getting a second hearing”. 

“But it’s time to be bolder,” he said. “To ensure the working class know that Labour is on their side — this must mean action and not just words.”

Andy highlighted that British manufacturing has lost four million jobs since the 1980s, “and the overwhelming majority of them were good, well-paid union jobs”.

Addressing Haigh, Andy asked, “Now you spoke about reindustrialisation: can you tell us what’s the time scale for that, who is going to pay, and are you going to give a commitment to buying British?”

Haigh (pictured below) thanked Andy for his question and agreed that Labour must be bolder. She pointed out that the Labour government is already taking action on the issue, with business secretary John Reynolds announcing recently that the government will purchase specialty steel in South Yorkshire, a move that will safeguard 1400 jobs and protect vital sovereign capabilities.

Haigh also highlighted reforms she has undertaken on public procurement.

“In terms of social value, we will only be targeting jobs and skills – we’ve stripped out all other requirements for public procurement.”

This way, she said, “we can really target good jobs and skills” which will also create “apprenticeships and opportunities for our young people as well”. 

Haigh went on to note that cabinet colleagues are being encouraged to use national security provisions in procurement “to make sure we can really target British investment in crucial sectors like ship building, AI and energy infrastructure”.

Concluding her answer to Andy Green’s question, she said “lots [had] already [been] done…but [there is] a lot more to do as well”.

By Hajera Blagg

Photos by Mark Thomas