A LEADING East Lancashire firm could double its exports to developing countries with increased government support, it has been claimed.

Blackburn-based Graham and Brown is the third largest wallpaper manufacturer in the world, employing more than 400 people.

Thirty per cent of the company’s £80million turnover is exported, but this could increase if export credit insurance was available in this country, according to the British Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber used Graham and Brown as a case study ahead of a debate it organised at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham yesterday.

It said an insurance scheme similar to other countries would allow Graham and Brown to compete ‘on a level playing field’ with its German competitors.

And the company’s boss Andrew Graham said that government-backed export insurance would allow it to dramatically increase sales in Russia and Eastern Europe.

He said: "Ten per cent of our turnover is sales to those countries but we could double that.

"I think there is a lot of momentum behind this campaign and it would make a big difference to companies like ours.

"We are still expanding our business abroad but we have to be so careful and export credit insurance would give us a level playing field with Germany.

"In this country we do not give enough value to manufacturing.

"As a country we need to get back to making and selling things."

He said that the issue 'is not party political' and praised the efforts of Blackburn MP Jack Straw in securing support for the plan.