Pre-Met calls for action on manufacturing costs, recruitment and skills
Pre-Met • November 4, 2026
James Leng highlights the changes manufacturers need to support recruitment, skills and competitive production.
Pre-Met Managing Director James Leng has highlighted the pressures facing manufacturers in comments published by Business Mondays ahead of the October Budget.
Speaking from our Redditch manufacturing business, James outlined three priorities:
- Energy costs: broader and earlier support for manufacturers through the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme.
- Recruitment: a higher employer National Insurance threshold to reduce the cost of creating jobs.
- Skills: support for experienced employees to retrain into roles such as setters and toolmakers.
James said: “We don’t need new schemes; we need the cost of making things in Redditch to stop rising faster than our competitors.”
His comments underline the practical support manufacturers need to recruit, develop their workforce and compete.
Pre-Met in the press:
Always Finance: https://alwaysfinance.co.uk/2026/10/27/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
AOL: https://www.aol.com/articles/run-lifeblood-manufacturing-firm-labour-182400000.html
Automation Update: https://automation-update.co.uk/2026/10/28/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
Business in the Midlands: https://businessinthemidlands.co.uk/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
Business in the South West: https://businessinthesouthwest.co.uk/2026/10/27/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
Business Mondays: https://businessmondays.co.uk/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
City News: https://city-news.co.uk/2026/10/27/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
Daily Business Now: https://dailybusinessnow.com/2026/10/27/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
Daily Express: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2260940/budget-john-healey-andy-burnham-labour-economy
Engineering Industry News: https://engineeringindustrynews.com/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
Engineering Update: https://engineering-update.co.uk/2026/10/28/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
Insider Midlands: https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/an-opportunity-for-the-chancellor-to-restore-business-confidence-midlands-leaders-look-ahead-to-the-budget
London Newsdesk:https://londonnewsdesk.co.uk/2026/10/27/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
Machinery Market: https://www.machinery-market.co.uk/news/43741 Budget
Manufacturing Update: https://manufacturing-update.co.uk/2026/10/28/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
Redditch Advertiser: https://www.redditchadvertiser.co.uk/news/26674550.redditch-manufacturer-urges-chancellor-cut-energy-costs/
SME Business News: https://smebusinessnews.co.uk/2026/10/27/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
UK Business News: https://uk-business-news.co.uk/2026/10/27/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
UK News Latest: https://uknewslatest.co.uk/2026/10/27/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
Yellow Business News: https://yellowbusinessnews.co.uk/2026/10/27/i-pay-tax-before-i-pay-a-wage-when-creating-jobs-thats-got-to-change-warns-redditch-manufacturer-with-budget-looming/
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