BCF's Essential Coatings Campaign Returns To Parliament

On Wednesday 23rd April, the British Coatings Federation (BCF) took their Essential Coatings Campaign back to Parliament. 

At a drop-in event in Parliament’s Portcullis House over a dozen MPs and their staff came in to learn more about coatings and why they are crucial to the UK economy and society. A number of BCF members were on hand to assist the BCF core team in showing different types of coatings, from decorative to marine and from intumescent coatings to printing inks.

Conversations were had covering different benefits of coatings, especially around sustainability, preservation and protection. Importantly, it was also an opportunity to speak to MPs directly about the key issues affecting the industry. Not the least of these was the need for a proportionate, clear and consistent post-Brexit, UK chemicals regulatory regime, especially vis-à-vis UK REACH, but also how the coatings sector might fit into and benefit a UK industrial strategy. The Parliamentary room was booked for BCF by Newcastle-under-Lyme MP, Adam Jogee, who also spent time discussing the coatings sector’s needs with BCF members.

Speaking after the event, Tom Bowtell said: “We launched our Essential Coatings campaign almost 18 months ago in Parliament. Since then, we have met many MPs 1-1 but this is the first time we have been back to make our case to a large number of Parliamentarians at a special event. It was a huge success as we managed to speak to a good number of MPs, many of whom we made contact with for the first time. We hope a number of those MPs will now also visit coatings companies in their constituencies and learn even more about coatings and the vital role they play in the UK economy and wider society. 

“We are grateful for Adam Jogee MP for helping us make all the necessary arrangements and to the other MPs who gave up their time to drop-in and speak to us. We will continue to build our Parliamentary profile to ensure more Parliamentarians know about the essential nature of coatings as well as the key issues affecting our sector, such as the need for a resolution to UK REACH.” 

For more information about BCF’s Essential Coatings campaign, please visit: https://coatings.org.uk/page/EssentialCoatings

BCF’S Essential Coatings report was first launched in December 2023 and highlights the breadth of applications of the coatings sector and its critical contribution to a wide range of advanced industries, the BCF said a holistic approach is needed to ensure a bright future for UK manufacturing.

Essential Coatings’ case studies are divided into four key themes that demonstrate the value of the UK coatings sector:

• Essentiality – coatings are everywhere, in and on everything and critical to the functioning of daily life.
  
  
• Liveability – coatings protect, enrich and enhance the beauty of the world around us, and enable communication and self-expression.
  
  
• Sustainability – coatings play an essential role in the transition to a sustainable future: prolonging the life of goods, vehicles and infrastructure; protecting and enabling renewable energy sources such as wind turbines and solar panels; and helping improve fuel efficiency.
  
  
• Economy – the sector is one of the country’s manufacturing success stories: a net exporter, a generator of jobs and an integral contributor to the UK economy.

The BCF’s key asks of Government:

1. A proportionate, clear and consistent regulatory environment
   
   
2. An industrial strategy to support manufacturing
   
   
3. Support for the transition to a more sustainable UK
   
   
4. Improving post-Brexit trade
   
   
5. Long-term focus on skills and training 

Source : BCF

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