Industry and infrastructure: Key issues for the 2015 Parliament
This section of the Key Issues 2015 publication focuses on manufacturing, infrastructure, transport and agriculture. This briefing was prepared by House of Commons Library researchers for Members of the new Parliament in 2015 and includes analysis of a range of subjects.
In common with many other advanced economies, the UK has seen an absolute decline in manufacturing employment and a relative decline in manufacturing output in recent decades. The impact of globalisation has been felt very acutely in this sector.
Throughout the last Parliament, the major parties competed to demonstrate their commitment to the UK's infrastructure.
Two big infrastructure decisions faced the previous Government when it came to office in 2010: whether to approve airport expansion somewhere in the South East, and whether to build a high speed rail line between London and the north of England.
UK farmers are looking to the new Government to help them manage uncertainty and bolster their resilience in an unpredictable world.