Manufacturing needs consistency EDITOR’S COMMENT www.hpmag.co.uk HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS June 2026 3 The next Prime Minister will inherit an economy where improving productivity, strengthening domestic manufacturing and increasing resilience across supply chains remain pressing priorities. ‘ ’ The Prime Minister’s announcement that he intends to resign has, unsurprisingly, dominated the political conversation. For those of us involved in manufacturing, however, the more important issue is not who succeeds him, but whether another change in leadership results in yet another reset of Britain’s industrial priorities. Engineering businesses do not plan in electoral cycles, and investment in production facilities, automation, skilled people and research is measured over years, often decades. Whether developing new hydraulic systems for mobile machinery, investing in advanced pneumatic technologies for factory automation, or expanding manufacturing capacity to meet growing demand, companies need confidence that the policy environment will remain broadly consistent throughout the life of those investments. This matters because the fluid power sector sits at the centre of much of the UK’s industrial economy. Hydraulic and pneumatic technologies enable manufacturing, construction, infrastructure, defence, energy, agriculture and logistics. They are integral to the machinery that builds homes, supports renewable energy projects, keeps production lines moving and underpins critical national infrastructure. Yet the sector rarely receives the attention it deserves when industrial policy is debated. The next Prime Minister will inherit an economy where improving productivity, strengthening domestic manufacturing and increasing resilience across supply chains remain pressing priorities. Delivering on those ambitions will depend not only on headline investment announcements, but on creating the conditions that encourage businesses to invest their own capital with confidence. For our industry several issues are key including energy costs which continue to affect the competitiveness of UK manufacturers. Skills shortages remain a constraint on growth, particularly in engineering and technical disciplines. Investment in automation and digital manufacturing is accelerating, while demand is increasing for more efficient hydraulic and pneumatic systems that support both productivity and sustainability. At the same time, opportunities in defence, infrastructure and the energy transition present significant growth potential for businesses across the fluid power supply chain. These are not challenges that can be addressed through short-term initiatives or successive rebranding of industrial policy. They require consistency of purpose and meaningful engagement with the manufacturers, distributors, system integrators and engineering specialists responsible for delivering the technologies on which modern industry depends. The UK has no shortage of engineering capability and British companies continue to innovate, export and compete successfully in demanding global markets. What is less certain is whether government can provide a stable framework that matches the timescales on which manufacturing businesses operate. Political leadership will inevitably change but industrial strategy should not. As Westminster begins another period of transition, our sector will be looking beyond personalities and party politics. The measure of the next government will not be the speed with which it announces new initiatives, but whether it can maintain a clear and consistent direction for British manufacturing. Businesses are ready to invest, innovate and grow, but they need confidence that the rules of the game will not change every time the political landscape does. Aaron Blutstein Editor
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