‘Every pound of public investment should back British jobs’
If new transport infrastructure was made in Britain, Greater Manchester could spark new jobs, back industry and set a model for our regions.
When we talk about building a stronger economy, we often focus on numbers like growth, productivity, or inflation. But for most people, what really matters is whether investment creates good jobs, keeps industries alive, and gives communities confidence in the future. That is why how we spend public money is so important.
In Greater Manchester, we are investing in the Bee Network and the next generation of trams. These new vehicles will allow us to expand services, connect more communities, and introduce modern technology.
But we need to ask ourselves an important question: where will these trams be built, and who will benefit?
Build new trams with British Steel
I believe the answer should be clear. Our new trams must be built in Britain using British Steel. This is not just about local pride, although I know people in Greater Manchester would feel proud of it. It is about creating skilled jobs, supporting local businesses, and making sure the money we invest circulates in our local economy.
Public spending already covers billions of pounds of infrastructure, vehicles, and transport projects every year. Too often, these contracts are awarded to overseas companies. That means the work, the jobs, and the skills go abroad, while our communities miss out. We can change that.
Greater Manchester has real influence through its purchasing power. By insisting that new trams are made in the UK, we could create work for local engineers, steelworkers, and designers. We could strengthen supply chains, give companies confidence to invest, and support the industries of the future.
The case for building in Britain has never been stronger
Building trams in Britain could create hundreds of jobs directly in manufacturing, while supporting thousands more in related industries such as design, engineering, and logistics. Local factories would see more work, apprentices could be trained, and the skills we need for the next generation of transport projects would be retained in our region. This is how investment turns into opportunity for communities.
The case for building in Britain has never been stronger. The pandemic showed how fragile global supply chains are. Rising energy costs and international uncertainty have reminded us that resilience matters. If we want a strong, secure economy, we need the capacity to make things ourselves.
Modern British manufacturing is not about nostalgia. It includes the manufacture of advanced steel, engineering, and green transport technology. These industries will grow if there is demand. Public procurement can provide that demand. By committing to building trams in Britain, we will give businesses the certainty they need to expand, hire and innovate.
This is what Labour should be about: using the tools of government to deliver for working people. We should not accept a system where taxpayers pay for transport projects while jobs, profits, and benefits go abroad. Every pound invested should strengthen communities, industries, and pride in British work.
This is the kind of investment that changes lives
Transport is about more than timetables and tickets. It is about shaping our economy and giving communities opportunities to thrive. Choosing to build our trams in Britain would be a simple but powerful step toward a stronger, fairer economy where workers and industry benefit side by side.
Imagine apprentices in Greater Manchester learning to weld and construct, engineers designing next-generation vehicles, and local suppliers providing essential components. This is the kind of investment that changes lives, strengthens communities, and ensures the region does not miss out on the economic opportunities that public spending can create.
Other regions have shown what is possible when procurement is used strategically. Local supply chains are revitalised, jobs are created, and skills are passed down to the next generation. Greater Manchester can do the same. We have the people, the expertise, and the ambition to make it happen.
This is also about pride. British-made trams would be a visible sign of what public investment can achieve. They would show that we value our workers, our skills, and our industries. They would signal to the world that Britain can still produce high-quality, high-tech vehicles that meet modern needs while supporting communities at home.
We now have the chance to make a real difference. By choosing to build our trams in Britain, we could create skilled jobs, keep supply chains local, and rebuild our industrial foundations. Greater Manchester could show how public investment can deliver for people, not just move vehicles from place to place.
This is the kind of bold, practical action that Labour should champion. It connects investment with opportunity, transport with industry, and public money with public benefit. It is a way to deliver lasting change for communities while strengthening the economy and ensuring Britain remains a place where people can build a career, support a family, and be proud of what we make.
Choosing British-made trams is not a small decision. It is a choice about the kind of future we want for Greater Manchester and for the UK. We can either let public investment slip away overseas or we can use it to create opportunities at home. I know which choice I want to make, and I believe the people of Greater Manchester want the same.
By backing British manufacturing, we can show that public money matters, that local jobs matter, and that Greater Manchester is ready to lead the way in building a stronger, fairer, and more resilient economy.
The Progressive Case for Tariffs
Cargo ship entering the Columbia River from the Pacific. Photo: Jeffrey St. Clair.
As the Trump Administration continues to push ineffective tariff policies and ignite trade wars, America’s working families hang in the balance — caught between rising prices and a weakening job market, and worrying about what comes next.
It’s tempting to blame tariffs alone for the larger chaos of Trump’s mismanaged economy. But that critique ignores the fact that working families and communities throughout the United States have been harmed by decades of damaging trade agreements designed to protect corporate interests.
Now more than ever, pro-worker advocates have a critical role in showing how progressive fair trade policies — including strategic, targeted tariffs — can build a better future for workers and communities. Here are six points of broad agreement among progressive, pro-worker advocates:
The status quo is not acceptable.
Corporate-dominated trade agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and its successor, the Trump-negotiated United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), have been a disaster for workers and communities. So-called “free trade” policy has failed to protect working families, devastated American communities, and sparked a race to the bottom, accelerating economic inequality.
Corporate-centered trade policy hurts workers across lines of race, age, andgeography. The auto industry alone has lost 65 “big three” U.S. plants since NAFTA passed. Despite the USMCA’s promises to raise labor standards in Mexico, Mexican autoworkers still are paid one-tenth the wages of their U.S. counterparts.
Where factories have not yet closed, bosses use offshoring threats to undermine collective bargaining, bust unions, and diminish worker power. Workers are right to critique the rigged trade deals of the past, and to expect better from our elected leaders.
Tariffs are not inherently good or bad.
Like taxes, tariffs are a tool — their effectiveness depends on how they are used. It matters a lot how and when tariffs are applied, and whether their use is targeted to achieve a specific outcome.
Strategic and targeted tariffs, like those conducted under Sections 232 and 301, can promote high labor standards, protect the environment, build supply chain resilience, and promote national security interests. For workers in industries hurt by unfair trade practices, tariffs can be a lifeline to level the playing field, preserving domestic production and good jobs. Still, tariffs are just one element of the broader industrial policy strategy needed to grow U.S. manufacturing.
