Manufacturing as a share of GDP currently stands at 12%. In its election briefing The Economist [disclosure: Speed client] says that which ever party forms the next election we’re not going to see a return to the manufacturing height of the mid-80s when it accounted for almost 24% of GDP.

In its election briefing supplement The Economist outlines the four areas that the new government will need to address to kick start business growth.

• incentives – in the form of grants, co-investment or subsidies
• taxation – which can be skewed to favour investment
• education – “in favour of science, technology and manufacturing skills”
• regulation – to reduce red tape

The Economist says that the new government will need to succeed where the current administration has failed and convince the banks to start lending to business. “Business investment fell by 19% last year,” says The Economist.