The GMB union has called on the government to commit to using UK-made pottery and tableware in all British embassies and High Commissions around the world, as part of a push to back the country’s struggling ceramics sector.
In a letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, GMB General Secretary Gary Smith said the move would send “a clear message that we put UK manufacturing at the heart of everything we do as a country” and help promote one of Britain’s best-known industries to international audiences.
Smith warned that the ceramics industry – which employs more than 20,000 workers across the UK – is “at a crossroads” after years of political neglect, spiralling energy bills for gas-fired kilns, and competition from counterfeit imports.
“UK ceramics are the envy of the world, but political failure has left our pottery firms battling against eye-watering costs to keep their kilns lit,” Smith wrote. “With a network of more than 300 embassies and High Commissions, the UK has a golden opportunity to showcase the best of UK pottery at embassies across the world.”
The GMB leader highlighted the collapse of three Staffordshire-based firms – Royal Stafford, Heraldic Pottery and Moorcroft – this year alone, warning that hundreds of jobs have been lost and more communities are under threat.
While praising the skill of British potters and the global reputation of UK ceramics, Smith called for “practical steps” from government to support the sector, which produces world-class tableware and industrial ceramic components. He urged the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office to lead by example by sourcing from unionised UK manufacturers listed on the union’s Potters’ Pledge website.
The GMB said it would welcome further talks with the government on the proposal, which it sees as both a symbolic and practical commitment to a “vital British industry” whose survival is increasingly under pressure.
