Decline of UK manufacturing accelerates as government ‘abandons’ sector

Amid higher costs and worker shortages, British Chambers of Commerce says Brexit is another factor

• UK heads for long recession as economy shrinks by 0.2%
• Business live updates: Jeremy Hunt warns of tough road ahead'

When the minor ups and downs caused by the extra bank holiday for the Queen's funeral are stripped out of the latest GDP figures, it is clear the long decline of Britain's industrial base has accelerated.

Protected by the government through the coronavirus pandemic, this year, factory owners say ministers have abandoned them to cope with a long recession without so much as a glance in their direction.