The Government’s manufacturing policies have been overwhelmingly rejected by UK manufacturers in a poll commissioned by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

The survey of 1000 manufacturers reveals that half of respondents believe the Government is performing badly on manufacturing policy, with just 14% of those polled saying that it’s performing well. This follows figures from the Office of National Statistics which show that the country’s manufacturing sector has shrunk by 0.9% since the first quarter of 2011 while the services sector as a whole has grown by 1%.

In a poll of 1000 members of the public, 72% said the Government is more committed to the financial sector than manufacturing while just 26% of respondents agreed that that the Government is committed to rebalancing the economy towards manufacturing.

In the strongest result of the survey, more than 75% of manufacturers and 72% of the public said Government should favour UKbased companies when awarding contracts, even if this is a more expensive option.

Philippa Oldham, head of manufacturing at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: “Rebalancing the economy towards manufacturing is not an easy task, however these polls make it clear that the Government’s policies to make it happen do not have the support of UK manufacturers or the general public.

“The warm words about UK manufacturing we have been hearing over the past two years are starting to wear thin. It’s time for the Government to engage with industry to create a long-term industrial strategy that can put UK manufacturing, once the envy of the world, back on top.”