MANUFACTURING must be at the heart of post-pandemic plans to rebuild Britain’s economy, union and business leaders told the Prime Minister today.

A joint letter from the Unite union and Britain’s key industrial trade federations urged Boris Johnson to ensure that the creation of jobs in the sector was central to the roadmap to recovery he is expected to announce later this month.

The union, together with trade federations in the motor, chemical and aerospace, defence, security and space industries pointed to the “tremendous opportunities” that manufacturing presents for increased trade, job and skills creation.