Tom Watson confirmed to speak

The Deputy Leader joins an impressive line-up of influential speakers – including Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, and Martin Wolf CBE, Chief Economics Commentator at the FT - due to address the manufacturing sector at its biggest yearly gathering.

The flagship annual event – sponsored by the UK’s largest asset finance provider, Lombard – brings together leading politicians, senior industrialists and manufacturing companies from across the UK to discuss the critical challenges ahead for industry.

Key themes for 2016 include cracking Britain’s productivity puzzle, unlocking the global trade challenge and the UK’s future in the EU. The conference is likely to take place against a backdrop of low manufacturing growth and faltering confidence, which will no doubt be a key concern for attendees.

Terry Scuoler, Chief Executive of EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, says: “Manufacturers will welcome this opportunity to hear first-hand from the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, particularly at such a challenging time for confidence and growth.

“Business confidence thrives on continuity, consistency and understanding. Our sector’s leaders will want to hear about the Shadow team’s support for UK manufacturing and their plan for a collaborative industrial strategy that would deliver what our sector and the UK needs.”

The conference takes place 24th February at the QE2 Conference Centre in Westminster, London. It will be followed by EEF’s annual Manufacturers’ Dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel, where the after dinner speaker will be the journalist and broadcaster, Andrew Neil.