The bigger picture

Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell weighs up Theresa May’s recent announcement.

Yesterday’s general election announcement didn’t really come as a surprise, did it? It was always on the cards – the task of negotiating the Brexit procedure needs a leadership team that has a proper mandate, which the current government arguably doesn’t – May herself said a bigger majority for her will result in a more commanding position at the negotiating table.

Since the banking crisis of 2008, the focus British politics has always been something ‘big’: economic uncertainty; the decision to leave Europe; Brexit negotiations; and Scottish independence. Two referendums and soon-to-be three general elections have largely been fought on these issues.

Even international affairs have threatened to eclipse our own domestic concerns: Trump; Syria; Isis; and North Korea for example.

One could be forgiven that issues relating to our industry will not get the amount of coverage they deserve over the next seven weeks. It’s been widely reported that construction, manufacturing, household spending, investor confidence, and employment numbers are thankfully holding up. Is this despite or because of prevailing conditions?

Yes, we should be relieved that the foundations of our own growth have not gone down the pan since last summer, but that doesn’t mean we should be complacent, and we need to consider the bigger picture. Hopefully these matters will be discussed as much as Brexit over the course of the coming weeks.