|
|
Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats:Covering the constituencies of Twickenham and Richmond Park |
Vince Cable writes - for the Detroit Free Press
June 16, 2011 3:39 PM
• [Jun 13] The Detroit Free Press writes: THE Right Honorable Dr. Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in the British government - roughly the counterpart of the U.S. Commerce Secretary - is in Detroit for visits today with British-owned businesses, chiefly in the automotive supply area. Cable, 68, has a particular focus on business and banking issues but also is the lead Cabinet Minister for reducing regulatory burdens across British government. He is a former chief economist for Shell International and has been a member of the British Parliament since 1993 [sic].
In advance of his visit, Cable offered these thoughts on "the nuts and bolts of British and American prosperity.":
"Detroit is no stranger to visitors from far-flung places. Its importance as the heart of the world's auto industry has attracted investors, engineers, laborers and political leaders to this corner of the Midwest for a century. Ministers of the British government might be a less common sight here, but the continuing importance of the U.S. auto industry, and the message that Britain is open for business, is precisely why, as British Business Secretary, I'm in Detroit today.
British businesses are nothing new here in Detroit, where U.K.-based companies are integral parts of the supply chain of auto components and manufacturing jobs alike. British engineering services company Ricardo is an excellent example. From its base in Van Buren Township it directly supports more than 200 high paying jobs, part of the 19,000 jobs supported by innovative British companies in Michigan - that's 13 % of all jobs provided by foreign companies in the state.
In the other direction, Britain is a vital platform for the European operations of American auto companies. Eleven of the world's largest auto manufacturers have facilities in the U.K., as do 19 of the world's top 20 component manufacturers.
We offer access to a market of more than 500 million prosperous European consumers, and we're doing our part to expand the capability of automotive technology: our incentive of up to £5,000 for purchasing an electric vehicle means we're leading the charge on ultra low carbon vehicles.
British companies are also world leaders in creating more fuel efficient power trains, on which companies like Lotus Engineering, Mahle Powertrain and Zytec are doing work right here in Michigan.
Automakers like Ford and GM are great American companies. We're proud in turn to be a home to large and profitable operations for both these companies. Ford celebrated its 100th anniversary in the UK just last month at an event attended by Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. Taken together, Ford and GM directly employ around 20,000 people in the UK, where they manufacture everything from diesel engines to - in 2014 - the new GM Vivaro van.
Ford, GM and countless other auto companies do good business in the UK. As we rebalance our economy to reflect the importance of manufacturing we're redoubling our commitment to be the best place in Europe for business."
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats