Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Jaguar Land Rover to Cut Production at UK Car Facility After Brexit Warning

Britain's biggest car producer, Jaguar Land Rover said it will go down to a three-day week at its Castle Bromwich plant in central England just days after its boss warned about the impact of Brexit and diesel policy on manufacturing.

The Castle Bromwich facility will operate a three-day week from October until the beginning of December in a move which will affect around 1,000 staff but avoid job cuts, a spokeswoman said.


"In light of the continuing headwinds impacting the car industry, we are making some temporary adjustments to our production schedules at Castle Bromwich," the company said in a statement.

Last week, the firm's boss Ralf Speth warned that the wrong Brexit deal could cost tens of thousands of car jobs and risks production at the firm, especially if there are delays at ports and on motorways due to customs checks.

He also said that the government had demonised diesel cars, contributing to 1,000 job losses at the company earlier this year.

Conservative lawmaker and Brexit supporter Bernard Jenkin earlier on Monday (17) accused Speth of "making it up" when asked about the automotive boss's comments, which included a warning that it was already more attractive to build cars abroad with Brexit adding uncertainty.

The Unite union blamed prime minister Theresa May as she battles to convince many of her own lawmakers to support her Brexit proposals which she says will maintain frictionless trade and protect jobs, but have angered many Brexiteers.

"This is the continuing effect of the chaotic mismanagement of the Brexit negotiations by the government which has created uncertainty across the UK’s automotive industry and the manufacturing sector generally," said assistant general secretary Tony Burke.

A slump in demand for diesel cars is also having a big impact on the firm.

About 90 per cent of Jaguar Land Rover's (JLR) sales in Britain are diesel models, which compares with around 45 per cent globally, the company said earlier this year.

Diesel sales have fallen this year nearly 30 per cent in Britain, Europe's second-biggest car market, mirroring similar drops in other major markets, as governments crack down on the segment in the wake of Volkswagen emissions scandal.

JLR said on Monday (17) it was investing to protect its plants in the future.

"We have invested more than £4bn since 2010 to future proof manufacturing technologies to deliver new models," its statement said.

Reuters

More For You

Octopus Energy Unveils Smart Home EV Charger to Slash Charging Costs

It follows a broader strategy by Octopus Energy to offer home energy hardware

Getty Images

Octopus Energy unveils first smart home EV charger to cut charging costs

Octopus Energy, the UK’s largest electricity supplier, has launched its first home electric vehicle (EV) charger, named Octopus Charge. The charger is designed to integrate with the company’s smart energy system to enable cost-effective and environmentally friendly charging.

Smart charging through Kraken platform

The new Octopus Charge device connects to the energy supplier’s proprietary Kraken platform, which automatically adjusts charging to coincide with times when electricity is cheapest and greenest. This enables EV owners to take advantage of lower rates and reduce their carbon footprint.

Keep ReadingShow less
Record-breaking data breach

The data is spread across 30 different datasets

iStock

Record-breaking data breach exposes 16 billion credentials, raising global cybersecurity concerns

A massive new cybersecurity report has revealed what experts are calling the largest data breach in history, involving over 16 billion login credentials. The records, uncovered by researchers at Cybernews, appear to come from a variety of sources and have raised alarm bells across the tech and cybersecurity industries.

Unprecedented scale of exposure

The data is spread across 30 different datasets, with individual troves containing between tens of millions and more than 3.5 billion credentials each. In total, the exposed records add up to 16 billion, a staggering number that equates to more than two credentials for every person on Earth.

Keep ReadingShow less
leaders discussed the new Defence Cooperation Accord between the UK and Bahrain,

The leaders discussed the new Defence Cooperation Accord between the UK and Bahrain, aimed at deepening joint military training and naval ties.

Crown Prince of Bahrain's website

UK and Bahrain strengthen defence and investment ties

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer met Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, prime minister of Bahrain, at Downing Street on Thursday.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the leaders discussed the UK-Bahrain relationship and welcomed the UK becoming a full member of the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA), a trilateral pact with Bahrain and the United States focused on regional security.

Keep ReadingShow less
Swiss banks

Funds held in customer accounts by Indian clients rose by 11 per cent in the year to 346 million Swiss francs (£3.14m) and accounted for about one-tenth of overall funds.

iStock

Indian funds in Swiss banks triple to £3.1bn in 2024

INDIAN money in Swiss banks more than trebled in 2024 to 3.5 billion Swiss francs (£3.1bn), attributed to a rise in funds held through local branches and other financial institutions, annual data released by Switzerland's central bank showed on Thursday (19).

However, funds held in customer accounts by Indian clients rose by 11 per cent in the year to 346 million Swiss francs (£3.14m) and accounted for about one-tenth of overall funds, the report showed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bank of England

In a statement, the central bank pointed to a recent rise in energy prices, citing the 'escalation of the conflict in the Middle East' as a factor.

Getty Images

Bank of England holds interest rate at 4.25 per cent

THE BANK OF ENGLAND (BoE) kept its key interest rate at 4.25 per cent on Thursday, citing persistent inflation and rising risks from US tariffs and the conflict between Israel and Iran.

The decision, which was widely expected, came a day after the US Federal Reserve also left its interest rates unchanged, pointing to continued inflation and slowing growth in the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less