UK ‘needs urgent long-term plan’ to develop future green, hi-tech industries

Influential economist Andy Haldane says lack of coherent strategy means Britain’ ‘isn’t really in the new arms race’ to reindustrialise

Britain risks falling behind in a multibillion-pound global “arms race” of re-industrialisation without an urgent launch of a coherent plan for manufacturing, Andy Haldane has warned.

The influential economist, who is on Jeremy Hunt’s council of economic advisers, said the UK was “not really in the race at any kind of scale” as other countries steal a march in developing the green, hi-tech industries of the future.