THE Government’s post-Brexit industrial strategy has been a major topic of discussion in the past few weeks.

Theresa May’s often contradictory statements on the will/we won’t we question of a hard Brexit have not helped settle business nerves.

Yesterday, in a surprisingly candid interview on the Andrew Marr Show, business secretary Greg Clark gave us a hint of what that strategy will be.

Mr Clark appeared to confirm that the Government is hoping to take a sector-by-sector approach in its negotiations with the EU.

But senior EU officials have already voiced their opposition. The view from Brussels is that allowing the UK to take a pick ‘n’ mix approach to the bits of the single market it wants to keep will send the wrong signals to other countries which may be in danger of going soft on membership. So we can expect powerful voices to resist the idea of a ‘case-by-case’ negotiation.

As a way of steadying the post-referendum ship, however, the policy has already succeeded.

A reassured Nissan committed to the future of its Sunderland plant last week – although it remains to be seen if the Government can pull off the same trick with General Motors and secure Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant.

The Nissan announcement was a fillip for the Government and the region.

For all the talk of thousands of jobs and huge investment, projects like HS2 and a third runway at Heathrow are very much a case of “jam tomorrow” for our region. Both will create jobs and investment in the South of England first. Our region will have to wait for crumbs from the plate.

The Government needs an industrial strategy based on real jobs not headline-grabbing projects which may never happen.