What does the road haulage sector demand of the next UK Government?

What does the logistics sector want from the UK’s next government? 

Once again, it is general election time in the UK, and as of the time this article was being written, the 2019-2014 Parliament had been dissolved, and the parties were well underway with their respective campaigns. 

The battle lines have already been firmly drawn between the major parties on such issues as the economy, immigration, and tax. But what have the key players in the UK’s logistics industry said about their hopes for the next government, whichever party emerges victorious? 

In our capacity as global logistics services providers here at KTL, we’ve looked back at what some of the principal stakeholders have already said. 

Appoint a dedicated logistics and supply chain minister, says Logistics UK 

When it comes to any national conversation about the political “direction of travel” for the logistics industry, one of the most influential contributors will always be Logistics UK. It is, after all, one of the UK’s largest business groups, with members from the road, rail, sea, and air industries. 

The trade association had already launched its manifesto for the upcoming election, entitled Unleashing the Power of Logistics to Drive Growth Across the Whole Economy, earlier in 2024. 

Particularly eye-catching was the organisation’s demand for all political parties to commit in their manifestoes to the appointment of a dedicated Minister for Logistics and Supply Chain. 

Logistics UK chief executive David Wells reasoned that such a move would ensure the logistics sector’s needs were addressed, while enabling the industry to collaborate with government to bring about heightened productivity. 

Other measures set out in the trade association’s manifesto included skills partnerships and reforms to help attract talent into the industry, as well as investment in innovative and integrated infrastructure, support for trade and less border friction, and a fair transition to a green economy. 

The organisation said that the latter step could be achieved with support from technology, infrastructure investment, regulatory reform, and tax incentives. 

The road haulage sector calls for the next government to “listen to the voices and concerns of the industry” 

Like Logistics UK, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) – which supports people and businesses in the road transport sector – placed an emphasis on the importance of a future government collaborating with the industry. 

This, however, was just one of the six “priority areas” that the trade association said it would focus on during the election campaign. The others were skills reform; investment in roads; improved driver facilities and safer parking; measures to support economic growth; and a roadmap to achieve Net Zero emissions. 

In the words of Richard Smith, the RHA’s managing director: “Whoever forms the next government will need to listen to the voices and concerns of the industry seriously when planning for the future”. 

It remains to be seen, of course, just how much attention candidates across the parties will pay to the logistics sector’s demands. 

In the meantime, if you are on the lookout for the global logistics services that could be instrumental in the success of your business’s import and export activities for months and years to come, please feel free to contact the KTL team for further advice and information.