Conservatives launch enterprise campaign

THE Tories have launched a new campaign to "boost enterprise" in Britain and claimed thousands of manufacturing jobs have been lost in Yorkshire since Labour came to power.

The Conservatives released figures that revealed 149,532 manufacturing jobs were lost in the region between June 1997 and November 2009. Additionally, the number of advanced manufacturing jobs in the region fell by 29 per cent in that time.

The news comes after the party welcomed a report from Sir James Dyson which provided advice on how to make Britain Europe's leading hi-tech exporter.

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Speaking during a visit to Datong plc in Leeds, the Shadow Secretary of State of Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt, said manufacturing had been "devastated under Labour".

"Gordon Brown once promised to revitalise the industry, but the figures show he has failed. 150,000 jobs have gone in the area and the sector has declined by a record level. This has been a tragedy for Yorkshire, an area with a proud manufacturing tradition."

The Tory campaign pledges to retain tax credits for research and development, a move that was backed by Sir James.

His report – titled Ingenious Britain – recommends the creation of a high-profile prize for engineering, extra financial incentives for young people to study science and engineering and making the Enterprise Investment Scheme more generous.