UK defence spending with British industry reaches record £34.1bn
Ministry of Defence figures show spending with UK industry and commerce reached a record £34.1 billion in 2025/26, up 3.2% in real terms.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readLatest in Manufacturing
Bentley completes £350m UK investment as automotive commitments top £1bn in seven days
Bentley has completed a £350 million investment at its Crewe plant as the Government says automotive investment announcements have topped £1 billion in seven days.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readIneos mothballs three UK chemical plants as Ratcliffe attacks energy costs
Ineos is suspending production at three chemical units in Hull, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe blaming high gas prices and carbon costs for making UK manufacturing uncompetitive.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readBurnham to press EU for UK inclusion in ‘Made in Europe’ scheme
Prime Minister Andy Burnham is expected to argue that Britain should be treated as a trusted partner under the EU’s emerging ‘Made in Europe’ rules, amid concern over the effect on UK steel and automotive supply chains.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readChancellor presses EU not to shut British firms out of “Made in Europe” scheme
Chancellor John Healey is making the case for British manufacturers to be covered by the EU’s proposed Made in Europe industrial rules during finance-minister talks in Dublin. No agreement has been reached.
Charlotte Mercer · 2 min readMcLaren announces £500m UK expansion creating 1,000 jobs in major manufacturing boost
McLaren Automotive is investing around £500 million to expand its UK manufacturing and engineering operations, creating 1,000 jobs by 2032 and potentially supporting thousands more across the supply chain.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min readGovernment moves to bring Speciality Steel UK into public ownership in bid to protect 1,300 jobs
The Government will work towards the public acquisition of Speciality Steel UK after rejecting a private-sector proposal, with more than 1,300 jobs supported across four sites.
Charlotte Mercer · 3 min read