Manufacturers say UK becoming more competitive as global hub, survey finds

Britain’s largest manufacturers believe the UK is increasing its competitiveness as a global hub for manufacturing, despite high energy costs, worker shortages and political instability holding back progress. In a crunch period for the economy before the general election, the manufacturing trade body Make UK and the accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers said industry bosses were growing more confident about the sector’s prospects, but “headwinds of sustained economic challenges” still remained. Publishing the findings of a survey of more than 200 senior manufacturing executives, Make UK said a majority believed Britain was…