Focusing on changing trends, UK manufacturing and the need for innovation he discussed the lack of UK engineering graduates, the rise of India and China. Calling for less red tape and taxation, he urged Government to “get out of the way and let the people get on with the job.”

For the past two years McCann has reinforced the role of BEAMAInstallation.

Stepping down as its president, he said: “The current over-regulation of business in the EU damages our competitiveness and our economies, driving manufacturing out. Where manufacturing goes R&D will surely follow.

“Rules and regulations often increase costs to the detriment of competitiveness. Since 2000, regulation affecting business has increased by 40 percent.

“The continuing increases in the costs of operating in this country due to red tape of every kind are sapping the will of business. The increase in taxes is pushing manufacturing industries to evaluate alternative locations to do business and although the Government pays lip service to manufacturing they seem to think it is inevitable that production will move from the UK to low cost countries.

“But, at the same time, they hope to keep the innovation and highly skilled engineers here. This could be wishful thinking as the service industries have now overtaken manufacturing in export income.”

He continued: “We need to make Britain the best place to do business - of any kind. We need to cut-out regulation that hinders this – and cut taxes.”

Chris Thomas of Electrium now assumes the president’s role for the next two years.

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