As part of its 10-point plan to revitalise the UK automotive industry, Britain's biggest union, Unite has urged public sector companies to buy local in an effort to aid the growth of UK car and components manufacturers. For a number of years sectors up and down the land have chosen to procure fleet vehicles manufactured overseas. A recent freedom of information request made by Unite found that 72 per cent of cars obtained by the British Police were built abroad. West Midlands Police are the model to follow having procured 30 per cent of their vehicles from UK-based manufacturers. Meanwhile Merseyside Police acquired just 11.5 per cent of their vehicles from British manufacturers with eight per cent of the total arriving from Vauxhall. The union suggests the best way to improve profitability of vehicle manufacturing in the UK is to provide a positive procurement policy with central government at the heart of the campaign to encourage public and private sectors to buy British. At present the public sector alone spends upwards of £220 billion every year on procurement. Roger Maddison, national officer for Unite, said: "The Government could boost demand at a stroke by introducing a procurement strategy to support UK motor manufacturing. "It is outrageous that 72 per cent of police vehicles are built outside the UK. This would never happen in Germany or France. Public bodies in the UK should use their buying power to support UK manufacturing. "An interventionist Government could do so much to support jobs and skills in manufacturing. It is time for the Government to listen to our demands because Unite understands manufacturing and the measures needed to support it." Is your business looking to extend its fleet or perhaps you're looking to build one from scratch? Make the most of our services here at IT Fleet Automotive, with our ability to provide high quality, cost-effective refurbished vehicles, restored to extremely high standards. Inside our workshop we use industry-leading techniques, technology and training to ensure the used cars we receive go further for longer. If you'd like to discuss your requirements further you can drop us a line via our online enquiry form or simply call our team today on 01473 313057.
