Sir Anthony Bamford: cut tax on UK manufacturing Sir Anthony calls on the Government to employ a "Whitehall champion" to promote manufacturing across government. He also says that the UK should learn from Germany which had a manufacturing trade surplus in 2010 of +9.7pc compared to -4.7pc in Britain. "In economic terms, [Germany] puts us in the shade," Sir Anthony, a donor to the Conservative Party, said. Germany's focus on value-added products sets it apart. It has a manufacturing strategy which the UK doesn't. If our politicians fail to deliver a coherent long-term manufacturing strategy, and quickly, we will fall into an economic abyss from which we may never emerge. This week, the Government will back the new £1m Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering which David Cameron has said he wants to be the "Nobel prize" for the sector. Lord Browne, the former chief executive of BP, will reveal the panel members who will judge the contenders for the prize. The report says that in the longer term there should be a push to increase bank competition so that lending is easier to small and medium sized businesses.