Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna joined me on a visit to the fantastic Brompton Bicycle Factory in Brentford as part of the launch of Labour’s Future Jobs Plan for London.
In the run-up to the General Election on 7 May, Chuka Umunna MP is visiting workplaces across the country to talk with employees and business leaders, entrepreneurs and local people about how we can take Britain’s economy forward and create more high-skilled, high-paid jobs of the future.
Chuka and I toured the premises and talked with the designers and makers of the world-famous Brompton Bicycles to discuss what Labour’s jobs plan means for London, supporting more high-skilled, better paid jobs.
Brompton Bicycle is a local West London success story on a global scale. The unique Brompton folding bike was designed and built in London in 1975 by Andrew Ritchie in his flat in South Kensington opposite the Brompton Oratory. Starting production in a railway arch just off the High Street, the bikes are still made in Brentford today and Brompton has become the UK’s largest bike manufacturer, making over 40,000 bikes per year. Over 80% of sales are in international markets and Brompton Bicycle has in recent years opened up 8 flagship retail stores in key cities around the world, including a London store in Covent Garden.
Commenting Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna MP said:
"As the election campaign begins, we are focusing on the high-skilled, better paid jobs which Labour's plan will support.
"It was fantastic to visit Brompton Bicycle with Ruth Cadbury. We need to see even more firms like Brompton: exporting overseas, creating high-skilled jobs and exemplifying the best of British innovation and ingenuity."
Brompton is a company that works. They invest in people and training to create a high quality product that’s sold all over the world. As a Brentford Councillor I’ve watched the company go from strength to strength to become a company that local people can be proud of. I want to thank their CEO, Will Butler-Adams, Nick Charlier, and the entire Brompton team for the visit.
Labour’s Future Jobs Plan for London will:
Guarantee every school leaver that gets the right grades an apprenticeship, benefitting around 470,000 people in London
Establish Technical Degrees in partnership with business to provide them with the people with the skills they need
Labour will cut – then freeze – business rates to back small firms, which would benefit 242,000 business premises in London
Set up a British Investment Bank with a regional network of banks to get credit to business to grow in every region, including London
Use Government procurement to back British jobs
Give Power to local people: devolve powers and budgets to combined authorities and LEPs to ensure growth in every part of the country.
Labour will work constructively with our European partners to focus on growth, not push Britain towards the EU exit door which would risk vital investment and jobs. There are 2,260 businesses exporting to EU countries in the London region.
Increase the minimum wage to £8 an hour before 2020, boosting pay for 111,000 jobs in London
Labour’s compulsory jobs guarantee would benefit 2,325 young people in London