Chancellor Rachel Healey will tell delegates at Labour’s annual conference on Monday that the government will usher in a "new age of industrialisation," unveiling a package of policies designed to bolster the UK’s shipbuilding sector.
The speech is being positioned as a statement of intent on industrial strategy, with Healey expected to frame investment in manufacturing and maritime industries as central to plans for economic growth and regional development. Labour ministers say the drive is intended to create high-skilled jobs and to rebuild industrial capacity in parts of the country with historic links to shipbuilding.
Details released in advance indicate the measures will target the backbone of the sector — including shipyards and their supply chains — and focus on increasing orders and competitiveness for British firms. Officials have suggested the approach will blend support for commercial and defence-related work, though full policy specifics are to be set out in the chancellor's address.
The announcement comes as the government seeks to sharpen its message on industry and make tangible commitments to communities that rely on manufacturing. Observers say the emphasis on shipbuilding is likely to be watched closely by businesses, trade unions and local representatives in regions where yards remain a major employer.
Opposition parties, business groups and unions will be looking for concrete details on funding, procurement and long-term guarantees, which campaigners say are necessary to translate rhetoric into sustained job creation. The full package of measures and any follow-up plans will be scrutinised in the days and weeks after Healey’s speech.
Healey’s address on Monday will form a central part of Labour’s conference agenda, signalling how the government intends to combine industrial policy with broader economic and regional strategies. Further briefings and documentation on the shipbuilding proposals are expected to be published alongside or shortly after the speech.