Vince Cable today unveiled his “Made By Britain” campaign, asking all 650 MPs to nominate an example of manufacturing excellence from their constituency.

“Made By Britain” is modeled on the Great Exhibition of 1851, and will showcase the best examples of British manufacturers in Parliament, in time for the Olympic Games next year.

Manufacturing represents 13 per cent of Britain’s GDP and provides half of all UK exports, making it one of the few sectors to truly support the British economy.

“With the Olympics bringing so much attention to Britain, this is a fantastic opportunity to show the rest of the world that we make world-beating products,” says Vince Cable, launching “Made By Britain”.

According to Cable, manufacturing suffers from an image problem, however. The British public, he says, has learnt to associate manufacturing with the negative effects in industrial decline, such as derelict factories, empty warehouses and poorly-paid jobs.

But one of Britain’s biggest strengths is actually its skilled designers, makers and engineers.

“British industry remains among the very best for the quality and originality of what it makes,” Cable adds. “We export goods to every corner of the world, from famous international brands to products which, while less well known, make a real difference to the lives of millions.”

“Made By Britain” is therefore asking MPs to go on the hunt for tales of manufacturing ingenuity and innovation over the summer recess, which will be displayed in an interactive map online.

We think this is a great campaign. Britain’s manufacturers are the unsung heroes of our economy – we’ll keep you posted on how the “Made By Britain” campaign develops.

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