The news that Department for Transport Minister Keir Mather has been appointed Minister for Maritime, Aviation and Logistics in the latest round of ministerial appointments made by Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been welcomed by business group Logistics UK.
“Minister Mather has always been a great champion of our industry’s work,” says Ben Fletcher, Logistics UK’s Chief Executive, “and we welcome his appointment to oversee engagement with our vital industry. For some time, we have been urging government to appoint a specialist logistics minister and recognise the value that our industry contributes to the smooth operation of UK PLC. The expansion of Mr Mather’s role now demonstrates the critical role that logistics can play in the rejuvenation of the UK’s economy and shows that the government is listening to us.
“Nothing moves in the economy without the input of logistics businesses,” he continues, “whether that is home building, manufacturing, or the work of the retail sector. Our industry is key to the provision of every item that the UK needs to grow and flourish, and we look forward to working closely with Minister Mather and his team to help power the government’s plans for growth in the coming months.”
As Mr Fletcher concludes, logistics is one of the UK economy’s success stories, but there is still more it can do to help drive the economy forwards: “Our sector already contributes £175 billion in GVA every year and employs 8% of the UK’s workforce: in fact, our industry enables more than £1 trillion of international trade every year. But we can and want to do more – independent research by Oxford Economics in 2023 found that the sector has the potential to boost UK economic growth by a further £8 billion a year, something we are keen to work closely with Minister Mather and his team on in the coming months.”
