Today, I attended a stimulating fringe debate on the importance of engineering to the future British economy. In particular, it was argued by the well-informed panel that Britain needed to develop a dynamic, high-end engineering sector to compete on the global stage for business. Britain has a long and rich history of engineering excellence, the former Racal firm in Bracknell being just one example locally of that past pre-eminence. Undeniably, over the last decade, the British economy has come to rely too heavily upon the financial services sector. The challenge for British governments over the next decade is to provide the economic environment to allow that imbalance to be addressed. Clearly, it is not the role of government to decide which industrial sector to support and financial services will undoubtedly remain important. It is, however, clear in my mind that the field of high-end engineering is one area in which Britain has a proud history of success and hence should hope to strengthen its global position once more. I see no reason why a new Racal cannot be created in Bracknell in the future.

Recently, I was contacted by a local blogger who runs the ‘Bracknell blog’. He sent me a series of questions about my bid to be the Conservative candidate for the Bracknell constituency at the next General election. You can view my answers here. If you have any other questions about my campaign please do not hesitate to contact me by email.

To feel safe in both one’s home and one’s community are legitimate expectations of every person who lives in East Berkshire. That sense of security is primarily provided by the performance of Thames Valley police. I’ve spoken to serving members of the force and they have all confirmed the need for an in-coming Conservative government to release the policemen and women from the burdensome bureaucracy and ‘New Labour’ target culture, and get them back on to the streets of Berkshire to do their jobs properly. A future Conservative government has promised to do this. Furthermore, I would see my local role if elected as a future MP for Bracknell constituency to lobby hard at Westminster for a fairer ‘share of the pie’ for the Thames Valley police force. Securing more visible police on the beat in towns like Crowthorne and villages like Finchampstead would be key goals for me during my term of office.

This afternoon I was out in Bracknell helping campaign in the Hanworth by election. This gave me the chance to meet with people on their doorsteps. I was also able to discuss local issues such as parking and housing with hard working Conservative Councillors. I know that one of the key determinants of good health is good housing and I would want to contribute as much as possible to help Bracknell’s high performing Borough Council get the right levels of funding in the future for its affordable housing commitments.

Although the F1 team is having a tough time at the moment, McLaren Automotive, the sports car production arm of McLaren Group, indicated yesterday that the future was bright. Since the launch of its first roadcar in 1992, the aptly named F1, McLaren has continued to develop models, with over 20 prototypes now in its stable, including the P11 (pictured above). Yesterday’s anouncement that it was seeking a further £250 million investment with a view to increasing car production to 1,000 vehicles per year, was welcome news for a sector that has recently undergone a dramatic fall in sales (some 30.5% fall just in March). To my mind, it the type of ‘high technology’, niche engineering business that should have a bright future in Britain. It relies upon being the best, having honed its work practices and attitudes in the very competitive environment of F1 racing. Sadly, the days of mass car production being a long-term viable business model in Britain have probably passed. Not only are cars likely to become seen as luxury items as a consequence of the increasing price of oil, the worsening problem of congestion and the undoubted adverse environmental impact, makes mass car production a far from attractive investment for the future.

What is clear is that the business of mass car production is better suited to those parts of the world with low labour costs. That is why Tata Motors of India recently commenced production of the World’s cheapest production car, the Nano. Top-end cars, however, do have a future in the UK, as they are, by definition, a luxury item requiring the input of specialist engineers. And this is where England, in particular, is in a strong position. It has always taken a very active part in F1 motor racing, and hence, many teams are based here, not least of which McLaren, who are situated in Woking, Surrey. Although there have been many recent redundancies in the F1 sector, including from the newly successful Brawn team, the expertise of F1 racing remains predominantly in this country. We should not waste this talent. Britain’s long-term economic prosperity will be aided by nurturing and protecting the intellectual capital of engineering firms like McLaren. Suffice to say, Britain would be better off supporting the Brawn of the future rather than the brawn of the past.