The next UK Prime Minister must make a clear commitment to the automotive sector, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has said.
With the process to choose the new leader of the ruling Labour Party currently underway, the IMI has produced a wish list of policies which it says will allow the automotive sector to play a full part in reindustrialisation.
Among the IMI’s requests is for automotive to take a central place in a reindustrialisation strategy, recognising that the sector’s role in employing 866,000 people and generating £37 billion in annual gross value added means it cannot be treated as a footnote within a broader manufacturing category.
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The IMI has also called for a consistent ZEV mandate policy, making it clear that the EV transition is irreversible and that skills investment must accelerate accordingly, and for the Government to mandate the IMI TechSafe Standard, ensuring that technicians working on safety-critical aspects of vehicles are qualified to do so.
The IMI also wants a review of apprenticeship reforms, maintaining rigorous assessments and depth and quality of training, and for automotive skills to be specifically named and resourced within the national skills framework.
IMI will work to convince Government of automotive sector importance
Nick Connor (pictured), CEO at the IMI, said: “The publication in June 2025 of the Labour Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy represented a significant moment for UK industrial policy; what it did not represent was a moment for automotive.
“In his speech on June 29, 2026, Andy Burnham clearly stated that he wanted to see reindustrialisation across the UK. Assuming he gets the keys to Number 10, we will work hard to ensure his ministers understand the role the automotive sector and its 800,000-strong workforce must play in that goal.”
Connor said that the IMI was encouraged by Burnham’s commitment to technical and vocational skills.
However, he added: “we need an apprenticeship system that is fit for purpose to support and encourage young people to ensure that the sector has the skilled workforce for the future.
“Clearly the country needs stability right now to give businesses and consumers confidence for the future.
“We look forward to working with the new Prime Minister and his ministers to ensure the automotive sector can play its part fully in supporting that confidence.”