Flash of ‘hope’ ahead of Budget as manufacturing roars back to life October 24, 2025 The UK economy had a flash of “hope” in October after manufacturing roared back to life ending a year-long slump. The latest ‘flash’ PMI from S&P Global showed business activity jumped to a two-month high at 51.1, this was up from 50.1 in September. The growth was driven by a sharp uptick from the manufacturing sector which hit [...]
Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack hammers UK car production October 24, 2025 The most expensive cyber attack in British history suffered by Jaguar Land Rover contributed to car production being slashed by almost 30 per cent in September, according to new figures. Jaguar Land Rover was forced to halt production for five weeks from 1 September which has been estimated to have cost the UK around £1.9bn. [...]
Autumn Budget: JCB boss calls on Reeves not to do anything ‘daft’ October 22, 2025 The chief executive of JCB has called on Chancellor Rachel Reeves not to do anything “daft” in her Autumn Budget which would deter inward investment. Graeme Macdonald, who leads the Staffordshire-headquartered manufacturing giant under chairman Lord Anthony Bamford, said he’s “not optimistic” about the Budget next month, adding that Reeves is “definitely” going to raise [...]
JCB billionaire banks record £866m pay day October 3, 2025 The billionaire Bamford family paid themselves £866m despite JCB’s sales and profit being slashed in 2024, it has been revealed. The Staffordshire-headquartered manufacturer issued the huge dividend which was up significantly from the £300m it paid out in 2023. The dividend total from 2023 had previously been JCB’s largest pay out in a decade until [...]
Trump’s tariff salvo blindsides UK manufacturers August 24, 2025 Donald Trump has blindsided UK manufacturers by slapping fresh tariffs of up to 25 per cent on more than 400 categories of British goods, from shampoo and children’s highchairs to motorcycles and diggers. Conservative shadow trade secretary Andrew Griffith accused ministers of failing to protect exporters, saying: “When it comes to protecting UK businesses from [...]
Rolls-Royce: FTSE 100 shares spike as expectations beaten July 31, 2025 Shares in Rolls-Royce have spiked after the FTSE 100 giant revealed better-than-expected interim results. The Derby-headquartered group confirmed its underlying pre-tax profit had jumped from £1.03bn to £1.68bn in the first six months of its financial year while its underlying operating profit grew by 50 per cent from £1.14bn to £1.73bn. Rolls-Royce’s underlying revenue rose [...]
Rolls-Royce: FTSE 100 giant raises profit guidance after £1bn boost July 31, 2025 Rolls-Royce has raised its profit guidance after a “strong start to the year” which saw its revenue surge by almost £1bn. The FTSE 100 giant has reported an underlying pre-tax profit of £1.68bn for the first six months of its financial year, up from the £1.03bn it posted for the same period in 2024. New [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Jaguar Land Rover rakes in £2.5bn profit despite stalled sales May 13, 2025 Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has achieved its highest profit for a decade despite its sales stalling during its latest financial year. The Coventry-headquartered automotive giant has posted a profit of £2.5bn for the 12 months to 31 March, 2025. The latest total is up from the £2.2bn profit it achieved in its prior year – [...]