Rachel Reeves to face fresh blow with sluggish growth data July 8, 2025 The UK economy is expected to have grown by a miserly 0.1 per cent in May, consensus among City economists suggests, undermining Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ commitment to deliver higher growth. The government’s difficult two weeks could get a whole lot worse on Friday morning when the Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes data on GDP [...]
Manufacturers fear Labour government will ‘derail growth’ July 1, 2025 Manufacturers continued to see output decline in June, fresh data has shown, as most business owners are now looking at how they can grow under the Labour government. The UK government last week unveiled its industrial strategy aimed at giving high-growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing confidence over the next ten years. But fresh research [...]
Manufacturers falter as Reeves urged to fast-track growth policies June 24, 2025 Manufacturing output continues to slump, according to the UK’s largest industry body, as bosses are urging Chancellor Reeves to back up training and technology policies with “short-term delivery”. The UK government set out its long-awaited industrial strategy earlier this week where it listed areas of the economy which had greatest potential for growth, including advanced [...]
UK services sector in ‘fragile recovery’ as employment fears linger June 23, 2025 The UK services sector expanded in June, despite tax hikes and a drop in employment across the UK economy, new figures have suggested. The double whammy of President Trump’s tariffs and Chancellor Reeves’ tax increases in April lowered confidence levels among businesses, with official data showing the UK economy contracted by as much as 0.3 [...]
UK’s largest fibre glass factory to close as rescue talks collapse June 18, 2025 The government’s industrial strategy was at risk of smashing into pieces after it emerged the country’s largest fibre glass factory is set to close. The Japanese owners of Electric Glass Fiber UK’s factory in Wigan, near Manchester, which produces materials used in electric cars and wind turbines, decided to close the site at a meeting [...]
UK manufacturers look East as production hopes rise June 16, 2025 UK manufacturers are ditching President Trump’s United States and looking to find trading partners in Asia and the Middle East, according to a leading industry body. The US has fallen out of the top three preferred regions as a growth market for UK manufacturers, the first time since surveys started eleven years ago, Make UK [...]
Volvo issues warning despite record UK sales June 11, 2025 Volvo has issued a warning despite its UK sales surging to more than £2bn and its profit almost quadrupling in 2024. The division of the Swedish car-making giant, which is headquartered in Berkshire, has reported a revenue of £2.3bn for its latest financial year, up from the £1.7bn it achieved in 2023. New accounts filed [...]
Reeves mulls taxpayer-funded subsidy to cut manufacturers’ energy costs June 8, 2025 Rachel Reeves is looking at plans for a £1bn taxpayer-funded annual subsidy to bring down the energy costs for manufacturers after warnings the UK faced “rapid deindustrialisation” without intervention. The Chancellor is facing mounting pressure to lower energy costs for industry with fears high prices are holding back investment opportunities and stifling the country’s competitiveness. [...]
Reeves’ tax raids and tariff woes strain UK manufacturers June 2, 2025 British manufacturers continued to struggle in May, despite a surprise minor uptick, as tax hikes and tariffs weighed on firms. S&P Global’s latest PMI survey, which asks around 600 industrial companies about their performance, revealed manufacturers were still battling a tirade of challenges. The latest figure edged up to 46.4 in May, compared to 45.4 [...]
Stellantis: Vauxhall owner picks former Jeep boss as chief executive May 28, 2025 Stellantis has picked 25-year veteran Antonio Filosa as its new chief executive amid an ongoing turnaround effort that was given fresh urgency by President Donald Trump’s shock tariff announcement. Filosa, who is currently Stellantis’s chief operating officer for the Americas, will take the top job on 23 June following a unanimous verdict by the board. [...]