The sun blazed down on the House of Lords terrace as the All Parliamentary Print Group convened for drinks and canapes, the weather reflecting the positive vibes that this event always produces.
Earlier in the day the BPIF’s Members’ Day attempted to provide insight into some of the challenges that printers face while not discouraging business leaders with the enormity of those challenges.
The feel good factor was underlined with presentation of the biannual Facts & Figures snapshot of the size and impact of the industry. This provides MPs and others that might otherwise dismiss print as a sunset industry, that it is far from it. The industry employs 93,000, has 6, 818 businesses (6,092 of these in England) and contributes a Gross Value Added figure of £5.9 billion to the UK economy.
This puts UK Print plc as the fifth largest in the world, behind only the US, China, Japan and Germany. The value of exports outweighs imports by £708 million. The printing industry is important.
The flip side of the coin is that Government should support rather than weigh down the industry. To this end the BPIF’s Priorities for Print calls on legislators to take ten actions to ease barriers to the success of the industry. The message will also be delivered directly to MPs on visits to BPIF members in their constituencies.
BPIF CEO Charles Jarrold says: “The printing industry, and manufacturing more widely, are strong and secure foundations on which policy and decision makers can depend to achieve economic growth.
“Yet the policy levers chosen by Government are crucial if we are to continue to be a valuable contributor to a UK success story.
“Our members have been clear in their message to decision makers: help us to help you. Employment, investment and innovation are key to growth, we urge the Government to take heed of our top ten ways it can support our industry over the next two years.”
In the afternoon the message was repeated and joined by an address from Louisa Bull from Unite the Union, calling for a greater focus on education and for a coordinated industrial strategy.
Jarrold’s duties included presentation of the Awards for Outstanding Contribution to the industry to Robert McClements, while Webmart CEO Kelly O’Sullivan handed the Kathy Woodward Award for Learning to Holly Chatterton, print technician at Go Print, honouring the memory of one time BPIF CEO Kathy Woodward.
