News: Maritime UK responds to Queen's Speech

Reacting to the Queen’s Speech, Chair of Maritime UK Harry Theochari said:

“This Queen’s Speech contains many ambitious proposals and commitments that can make a major contribution to tackling the big challenges of our time: climate change, regional inequality and a lack of infrastructure investment. With the majority that the Government now has, we must see quick and decisive action on all fronts.

“Coastal towns score badly on many of the deprivation indicators and understandably feel left-behind. Many of these towns and communities have helped give Boris Johnson his majority. He now has an opportunity to repay their support by delivering investment in connectivity and infrastructure, making these communities the heart of a new green industrial revolution, boosting shipbuilding in yards around the coast and creating the high-quality, well-paid jobs of the future.

“2019 has shown the very real threat our seafarers face for simply doing their jobs. So, we’re pleased to hear that the government will increase support for the armed forces, and clearly that will include the Royal Navy. Protecting merchant shipping and upholding the global rules-based order is vitally important to our sector, the trade we facilitate and the country as a whole. 

“We’re excited to work with government on new global trade opportunities and to secure a strong future relationship with the European Union – including on services, in which the UK is a true global leader. Getting this right is critical to our sector; responsible for enabling 95% of Britain's global trade, supporting 1.1m jobs and contributing £46.1bn to the economy, more than air and rail combined."