The UK’s space industry has to benefit communities across the country

With the House of Commons debating the future of the UK Space industry today, I am fortunate to represent the Far North where the UK’s first mainland vertical launch site will be built.

I have been campaigning for many moons now for the UK to finally jump into the newest space race - low-earth orbit satellites.

Yet, while the government is undoubtedly making all the right noises, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment. There are already risks on the horizon.

Towns and cities across the country crying out for investment and a chance of industrial renewal, that have most to benefit from this industry. When it comes to the space race, the stakes are high for Britain.

We must ensure that the influx of new space hubs and companies truly works for the local people. Remote areas across the UK, like my own patch in the Highlands where our nuclear site is being decommissioned, need high quality, secure jobs in order to retain our young population.

Space is no moonshot – for communities like mine – it is a chance to create a better future for the next generation.

The Conservative government must commit to opening the space industry to children from all backgrounds, offering space related training schemes in state schools and colleges, not just to those born with advantage. Every young person must be given the chance to become the next Tim Peake.

We should also be doing everything we can to ensure women are encouraged to join the industry from the outset. There is no excuse for another male-dominated engineering industry, like too many others in our country.

Whilst we wait for our domestic space talent to achieve lift-off, it is paramount we secure the right expertise. This means both securing visas for skilled workers from across the world as well as, investing heavily in training for British people. I want the best space scientists and engineers from around the world upskilling British people in accessible programmes, to deliver a truly world-leading industry.

However, a world leading industry does not however equivocate the government cosying up with billionaires and big business at the expense of the British public. Firstly, our communities cannot be rolled over by billionaire landlords dictating the terms. The formation of spaceports and other space hubs, as exciting and welcome as they may be, must be done in partnership with local people.

Then, there is the prospect of small businesses and entrepreneurs being crowded out by big businesses or unable to gain funding from risk-adverse banks. We must seek to have a truly dynamic industry with innovation at its core. As tempting as it may be for the government to always choose globally established space firms, a refusal to encourage smaller British businesses to join the industry, would be a kick in the teeth. Whilst my constituency in the north of Scotland will boast The Sutherland SpacePort, its benefits should be felt in every corner of the UK.

That is why the government should establish a fund dedicated to British entrepreneurs entering the space industry. This should include groundbreaking research projects through to a strong nationwide supply chain harnessing the power of British engineering businesses.

Fair, open and transparent competition is the hallmark of a strong industry, and it will require the government’s attention from the outset.

The Liberal Democrats believe that this country’s future can be better than our past and new space industry is the perfect opportunity to put that vision into practice. We cannot allow the government’s space policies to fail to launch.

It is not rocket science to realise that the build-up of our space industry must work for the British people so that we can become the world leader we all want us to be.

Jamie Stone is the vice chairman of the Space All Party Parliamentary Group and the Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross