UK Chancellor John Healey is set to promise a “new age of industrialisation” as Labour seeks to rebuild Britain’s manufacturing strength and put domestic industry at the centre of its economic agenda.
In his first Labour conference speech as chancellor, Healey will argue that Britain’s industrial future cannot simply mean returning to the past. While telling delegates that the country’s coal mines “are not coming back”, he is expected to outline plans to reshape Britain’s industrial economy around advanced manufacturing, shipbuilding and strategically important infrastructure.
A major announcement will focus on the shipbuilding industry. The government plans to build three new floating docks for HM Royal Naval Base Clyde at Faslane in the UK rather than putting the contracts out to international tender. The facilities are expected to support the next generation of British submarines and strengthen the country’s domestic maritime manufacturing capacity.
The government will also announce plans for new Royal Navy orders, including additional floating docks and a maritime research vessel, as part of a broader effort to increase confidence in Britain’s industrial capabilities.
Healey is expected to present the programme as part of a wider shift toward a more ambitious industrial strategy, arguing that advanced manufacturing can provide highly skilled jobs while strengthening the country’s ability to produce strategically important goods at home.
The speech comes at a politically significant moment for the government. With only weeks remaining before the Budget, Healey faces pressure over the rising cost of government borrowing and the difficult choices surrounding public finances. However, he is not expected to disclose specific tax or spending measures in his conference address.
Instead, the chancellor is expected to focus on Labour’s longer-term economic vision, portraying investment in British industry as a route toward stronger economic resilience and renewed confidence in the country’s manufacturing future.
The challenge will be turning that vision into lasting investment, jobs and industrial growth. For Labour, the promise marks an attempt to redefine what British industrial strength looks like in the modern economy.