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Local councils and police told to buy British-built cars
2nd July 2013
Tony Burke, assistant general secretary for manufacturing of Unite, has urged local councils and police forces to buy British-built cars.
He said that the UK auto industry has been transformed in the past five years with a massive commitment made by the skilled workforce after a long, traumatic period.
He also said that Unite, the country’s largest private sector union, would continue ‘to bang on’ about a UK procurement policy and a commitment for the “supply chain” to be brought back to the UK.
In a speech at the 14th SMMT Sustainability Report launch, Tony Burke said: “Unite believes that there is no reason, at all, why public authorities cannot purchase vehicles made here in the UK.
“Do we see German police forces buying anything other than BMW or Mercedes?
“It has been said time and again that we need to get our public sector organisations who purchase vehicles, whether that is local authorities or police forces, to buy our UK-made vehicles.
“I know that we are often told we can’t do this ‘because of EU rules’ and there is probably no bigger supporter of the continuing support for the European Union than myself.
“But I believe it is essential that we promote our own vehicles: designed in the UK; built in the UK and sold in the UK.”