New figures uncovered by the Conservative Party appear to show that 68,317 manufacturing jobs were lost in Wales between June 1997 and November 2009.
Additionally, the number of advanced manufacturing jobs, a key medium to hi-tech sector for which figures are available, fell by 55 per cent in that time.
Recent figures have also shown 1.7 million manufacturing jobs have been lost in the UK since 1997 and that the industry declined by over 9.3 per cent of GDP between 1997 and 2009, the largest decline under any government on record.
This news comes after the Conservative Party welcomed a report from Sir James Dyson, providing advice to the Party on how to make Britain Europe’s leading hi-tech exporter.
Commenting, during a visit to the National Centre for Product Design & Development in Cardiff, Shadow Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell said:
“Labour has devastated manufacturing in Britain. Gordon Brown once promised to revitalise the industry, but the figures show he has failed.
“Over a quarter of a million jobs have gone and the sector has declined by a record level.
“This has been a tragedy for Wales, a nation with a proud manufacturing tradition.
“We need to rebalance the economy away from Labour’s over-reliance on financial services towards high tech investment and exports.
“That is why we will cut corporation tax rates, simplify the tax system and support high tech innovation.
“British manufacturing cannot afford five more years of Gordon Brown making things worse.
“Only the Conservatives have the energy, leadership and the ideas to make Britain open for business again.”
