750 schools with primary aged pupils funded for breakfast club pilot to run from April 2025
New Industrial Strategy to be published in spring
Decision to write off over £640 million in written off Covid PPE contracts reversed
HMRC to consult on e-invoicing for businesses and government departments
The Chancellor yesterday unveiled a package of measures to deliver on the agenda of the new government including a breakfast club pilot for 750 schools with primary aged pupils, new powers for the Covid Corruption Commissioner, e-invoicing to support business and the next steps on the Labour government’s industrial strategy.
School Breakfast Club Pilot
The Chancellor announced that up to 750 schools with primary aged pupils will be invited to take part in a £7 million breakfast club pilot. The funding will allow these schools to run free breakfast clubs for their pupils in the summer term (April-July 2025).
The Department for Education will work with the schools selected as part of the pilot to understand how breakfast clubs can be delivered to meet the needs of schools, parents and pupils when the programme is rolled out nationally.
This will help reduce the number of students at schools with primary aged pupils starting the school day hungry and ensure children come to school ready to learn. It will also support the government’s aim to tackle child poverty by addressing rising food insecurity among children.
Covid Corruption Commissioner
Reeves also announced a block on any Covid-era PPE contract being abandoned or waived until it has been assessed by the new Covid Corruption Commissioner, whom will be appointed in October.
The decision will affect £647 million of Covid PPE contracts where contract recovery was previously earmarked to be waived.
It follows action already in motion to cut government waste and curb unnecessary spending. In her statement to Parliament in July, the Chancellor pledged to halve government consultancy spend from 2025-26, with savings targets of £550 million this financial year and a further £680 million in the next already announced.
Excessive use of ministerial travel by aeroplane and helicopter is also being cutdown, with confirmation that a military contract for a helicopter also used for VIP trips, is not being renewed at the end of the year as previously announced.
Industrial Strategy
The Chancellor also today announced that the Industrial Strategy will be at the heart of the government’s mission to grow the economy, unlock investment and make every part of the country better off. It will focus on delivering long-term change to the economy by making Britain a clean energy superpower and accelerating to net zero, breaking down barriers to regional growth, and building a secure and resilient economy.
A green paper will be published around Budget in October outlining the long-term sectoral growth and priority industries of the government, ahead of the final strategy published in the spring of 2025 following a consultation with business.
HMRC package
Chancellor Reeves also outlined a package of reforms to improve the UK’s tax system to help fix the foundations of the UK economy.
As part of the package, HMRC will soon launch a consultation on electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) to promote its wider use across UK businesses and government departments.
The introduction of e-invoicing can significantly reduce administrative tasks, improve cash flow, boost productivity, introduce automation, and reduce errors in tax returns – all helping to close the tax gap. The consultation will gather input from businesses on how HMRC can support investment in and encourage e-invoicing uptake.
The Chancellor also announced that Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Murray, the minister responsible for the UK’s tax system, has become the Chair of the HMRC Board. This is to help oversee the implementation of his three strategic priorities for HMRC; closing the tax gap, modernising and reforming, and improving customer service.
It was also announced that a new Digital Transformation Roadmap, aimed to be published in Spring 2025, will set out HMRC’s vision to be a digital first organisation underpinned by customer insight. The Roadmap will include measures to ensure digital inclusion and support for customers who cannot yet interact digitally.
There was a further update that new staff are expected to join HMRC’s training programme in November as 200 additional offer letters have been issued as part of the 450 letters already sent. This is part of HMRC’s plans to recruit an additional 5,000 compliance staff to help close the tax gap.
New package of measures aimed at tackling scourge of late payments
New Fair Payment Code and fresh rules on company reporting and major consultation unveiled as part of package to tackle late payments
Scourge of late payments costs SMEs £22,000 a year with 56 million hours of lost productivity across the economy – acting as a major brake on growth
Comes as Business Secretary set to visit food and drink businesses in Manchester struggling with late payments
The government has unveiled new measures today to support small businesses and the self-employed by tackling the scourge of late payments, which according to the Smart Data Foundry is costing small businesses £22,000 a year on average and leads to 50,000 business closures a year according to Intuit QuickBooks,
The government will consult on tough new laws which will hold larger firms to account and get cash flowing back into businesses – helping deliver our mission to grow the economy.
In addition, new legislation being brought in the coming weeks will require all large businesses to include payment reporting in their annual reports – putting the onus on them to provide clarity in their annual reports about how they treat small firms. This will mean company boards and international investors will be able to see how firms are operating.
Enforcement will also be stepped up on the existing late payment performance reporting regulations which require large companies to report their payment performance twice yearly on GOV.UK.
Under current laws, responsible directors at non-compliant companies who don’t report their payment practices could face criminal prosecutions including potentially unlimited fines and criminal records.
The consultation which will be launched in the coming months, will also consider a range of further policy measures that could help address poor payment practices.
Every quarter, 52% of SMEs in the UK suffer from late payments according to FSB, meaning roughly 2.8 million small firms face this issue, with the Federation of Small Businesses describing it as one of the biggest problems facing SMEs.
Late payments are just one element of the problem, with some SMEs forced to wait months for contracts to be fulfilled and some are even forced to take out loans against their own homes to manage cash flow.
Cracking down on late payments will unlock growth for 5.5 million small firms by enabling them to invest their time hiring more employees, boosting wages, and exporting around the world, rather than chasing down late payments.
The Business Secretary will hold a joint call with the Federation of Small Businesses later today to outline to SME leaders the work the Department will undertake to put in place tough new laws to end bad payment culture.
New proposals, subject to consultation, will be bought forward on audit and audit committees, in order to help rebuild small businesses’ trust that they will be paid on time and to deliver on Labour’s manifesto commitment to tackle late payments.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We’re determined to back small businesses by unlocking their barriers to growth, and stamping out late payments is at the heart of this.
“We know how important it is for business owners to have the peace of mind and certainty around their cashflow to keep their businesses alive. Late payments cost businesses tens of thousands of pounds and is one of the biggest reasons businesses collapse.
“After years of delay, we’re bringing forward measures that small businesses have long been calling for to tackle late payments once and for all.”
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “Late payments are simply unacceptable and this government is determined to level the playing field for small business. When the cashflow runs dry, small firms go under which is why we need to hold larger business to account with their payment practices and foster an environment that supports growth and jobs.
“Slashing trade barriers, reforming business rates, getting more SMEs exporting – this government is committed to small firms. We know there’s a lot more to be done, but today we are calling time on late payers once and for all.”
A new Fair Payment Code has also been announced today replacing the old Prompt Payment Code, and will be open to signatories this autumn. Businesses will need to prove they have met good payment standards before being awarded official code status.
This will be designed to push businesses to pay faster more often, to be awarded either gold, silver or bronze status. The Code will also shine a light on those responsible businesses doing the right thing by their suppliers and small firms.
It comes as part of our wider work to support SMEs to help go for growth with reform to business rates, getting more small firms exporting and our new industrial strategy. The Secretary of State and Small Business Minister Gareth Thomas will discuss the new measures with small businesses later today.
Small Business Minister Gareth Thomas said: “Small businesses deserve to be paid on time, it’s as simple as that. I’m optimistic that today’s first big step will help pave the way for real change that supports SMEs to thrive and help to grow our economy.“
New research published by the Department for Business and Trade has found payment problems multiply the further down the supply chain you go.
With delays to payments increasing with each business along a supply chain, this results in smaller businesses generally experiencing more issues with late invoices than larger firms.
These new findings underpin the need to move quickly to crack down on late payments. The research also found that there was a clear imbalance between big and small firms, and that administrative errors are a major factor in creating slow payments with 24% of firms saying that invoices being incorrectly handled added to delays.
The government will work closely with small and large businesses as well as groups such as FSB and Enterprise Nation to discuss what further measures can be considered to crack down on late payments while ensuring we strike the right balance and avoid excessive burdens on businesses.
Tina McKenzie, Policy Chair at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said: “This is what real change looks like. Listening to small firms and prioritising action to tear down each and every barrier to growth.
“The Business Secretary has clearly recognised the importance of eradicating bad payment culture, which so devastates the UK supplier base and holds back growth. This series of actions today – including the crucial steps being taken to deliver on Jonathan Reynolds’ commitment on audit committees – shows the Government is rightly focused on delivery and working in partnership with the business community.
“There will be so many decisions the Government needs to get right, early – an actively pro-small business budget, a good industrial strategy and tackling late payment. Announcing this programme of work today is a huge confidence boost for the small business community and a clear signal the new Government intends to stand up for small firms.”
The Small Business Commissioner, Liz Barclay, said: “I am delighted to announce a new Fair Payment Code will be launched this autumn. The new code will reward businesses that treat their suppliers fairly and pay them quickly. It will also include an ambitious new Gold Award which aims to make 30-day payments the new standard for which businesses can aim.
“We need sustainable, resilient businesses at all levels of the supply chains, to achieve the growth the economy needs. That means paying everyone from the largest supplier to the sole trader quicker, so they have the confidence to invest, improve productivity and grow. Fair payment terms and on time payments are the key.”
Steve Hare, CEO of Sage, said: “Late payments continue to challenge small and medium-sized businesses, affecting cash flow and growth. The UK Government’s new measures are all positive and show a strong commitment to addressing this issue.
“We must also focus on technological solutions. E-invoicing, for instance, already used in other countries, reduces late payments by 20% and processing times by 44%, saving small companies an average of £11,300 annually.”
Oliver Lloyd-Taylor, Founder of Black Milk, which has a Manchester-based café and sells award-winning pistachio & hazelnut spreads, said: “As a company we have experienced firsthand the sequential impact of late payments to our daily cash flow – which has, at times, lead us to be late with payments ourselves.
“We welcome the steps that the Government is making today to help protect small businesses, especially safeguarding them from larger businesses being able to utilise smaller businesses as an overdraft facility.”
Kenny Goodman, co-founder of drinks company Hip Pop said: “Late payments can significantly impact small businesses like ours, especially when it comes to maintaining strong relationships with our suppliers.
“When we’re paid on time, we can ensure we do the same for those we work with, which is vital to keeping everything running smoothly.”
Terry Corby, Founder & CEO of campaign group Good Business Pays said: “On the same day that Good Business Pays published our Autumn 2024 Watchlist of Late & Slow Paying companies, it’s encouraging to see these new late payment measures being announced.
“Only reputational pressure from organisations like Good Business Pays, supported with appropriate legislation and enforcement from government, will force a change in late payment behaviour. These new measures announced today will go some way to help drive that culture change.”
A Home Office crackdown against people-smuggling gangs and people exploiting the Common Travel Area (CTA) has led to the arrest of 31 people in multiple locations across the UK.
As the UK government steps up its pursuit against the criminal groups abusing our borders on all fronts, Immigration Enforcement teams, alongside UK police forces and international partners, descended on locations in the UK including Belfast, Scotland, Liverpool and Luton as part of a three-day operation.
Checks were conducted at major ports, airports, and road networks across the country, targeting illegal migration and disrupting smuggling routes. Ruthless criminal gangs, operating both in the UK and internationally, often exploit vulnerable migrants, charging them thousands of pounds to enter the UK illegally, luring them with false promises of a better life.
During the operation, £400,000 of criminal cash and 10 fraudulent identity documents were seized. These documents, which are critical tools used by people-smuggling gangs, enable them to evade immigration controls.
Created by criminal networks, counterfeit documents allow migrants to bypass border checks, trapping vulnerable people in further illegal activities. By exploiting these people, the gangs not only profit but also place them at risk of severe legal and personal consequences.
The multi-agency operation was led by Immigration Enforcement’s Criminal and Financial Investigations team in Northern Ireland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), the National Crime Agency (NCA), other UK police forces, and international partners.
This operation is part of a national effort to stop irregular migration and human trafficking at key entry points across the UK, as the government works to tackle people-smuggling gangs and bring those exploiting vulnerable people to justice.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: “This government will not stand by as criminal gangs exploit vulnerable people, risking their lives and giving them false hopes of a better life in the UK.
“Driven by greed, these gangs have no regard for human life or safety, charging outrageous fees, preying on those desperate to escape hardship, and forcing them into illegal and dangerous situations.
“We are taking the fight to them on all fronts under the leadership of our new Border Security Commander. Dismantling the business models of these gangs does not just apply to the small boats trade – we are also stamping out other routes into the UK to bring them to justice and slash their profits.”
Home Office Immigration Enforcement Inspector, Jonathan Evans, said: “This operation has been a huge success and sends a clear message that the smuggling gangs who break our laws will face serious consequences.
“We are taking action day in, day out to ensure we stay a step ahead of these criminal groups, disrupting them at the earliest possible stage. We will continue working relentlessly to ensure no one abuses the Common Travel Area or the UK’s borders.
“I’m incredibly proud of our teams across the country, as well as our partners from the police, the National Crime Agency, and international counterparts, for their hard work and collaboration in carrying out this important operation.”
A coalition of climate justice campaigners staged a musical demonstration and banner protest at the UK Government’s offices in Edinburgh yesterday to call on the Government and corporations to end fossil fuels and pay their fair share of the climate finance owed to countries most impacted by climate change.
The activists rewrote the lyrics to classic songs such as Abba’s ‘Money, Money, Money’ and the Proclaimers’ ‘500 miles’ to get their message across.
Abba chorus: “Money money money // Nothing’s funny // In an unequal world. Money, money, money // It’s way too sunny // In a colonial world.”
Proclaimers’ chorus: “But we would walk five hundred miles // And we would walk five hundred days // Just to be the ones who see 5 trillion smiles // Because WHO OWES MUST PAY.”
Campaigners from groups including Friends of the Earth Scotland, Extinction Rebellion Scotland, Global Justice Now Scotland, Divest Lothian, Stop EACOP Edinburgh and Edinburgh Quakers highlighted the role that UK fossil fuel companies, and the UK in general, have played in fuelling the climate crisis.
The groups demand the UK Government end our reliance on fossil fuels in a way that is ‘fast, fair and forever’ and to stop climate-wrecking projects like the controversial Rosebank oil field off the coast of Shetland.
Joy Reyes from Friends of the Earth Philippines spoke at the rally saying: “The people of the global south are not asking for pity or mercy, we are demanding our right to a future lived with dignity.
“We are demanding that the Global North and the fossil fuel companies, who profit while our people suffer, pay up. For every life lost, for every farm ruined, for every home destroyed and for every future ripped away from us, pay up!
“It is time for the perpetrators of this crisis to pay for what they have done.”
Sally Clark, Divestment Campaigner with Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “With catastrophic wildfires in Portugal and terrible flooding in Nigeria this week alone, it has never been more urgent for our governments to stop funding oil and gas companies like BP, Shell and TotalEnergies that are fuelling climate breakdown and harm to communities around the world.
“As one of the first countries to profit from fossil fuels, the UK has a greater responsibility to pay our climate debt to countries which have done the least to cause the climate crisis but which are already suffering the most.
“By ending our funding of climate-wrecking fossil fuels and instead investing in genuine climate solutions like social housing and wind and solar power, the Government can protect communities, create new green jobs and ensure a liveable planet for everyone.”
Campaigners are calling on governments in the Global North to urgently implement a fast, fair and funded phase out of fossil fuels and to commit to paying a minimum of US$5 trillion per year in public finance to countries in the Global South for the damage that has already been caused by the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis.
In April, new research revealed that just 57 companies, including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies, are directly linked to 80% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions since 2016.
Among the campaigners’ demands is a call on the UK Government to support the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and to stop funding companies responsible for new fossil fuel projects such as the Rosebank oil field and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in Uganda and Tanzania which is predicted to produce 379m tonnes of climate-heating pollution if it is completed.
Cathy Allen from Stop EACOP Edinburgh said: “For as long as any of us can remember, the UK government has promoted the myth that they kindly donate generous aid to poor countries.
“This narrative could not be further from the truth. The reality is that the UK government along with the rest of the Global North is defaulting on what it owes the Global South – collectively at least $5 trillion per year as compensation for the immense consequences of climate change.
“Payment for our part in this catastrophe would inevitably involve significant taxation of the fossil fuel industry and would thus also act as a deterrent to that sector’s unfettered rampage on the planet, resulting in a rare win-win situation.”
The rally was one of many actions taking place across the UK and around the world for the ‘Pay Up for Climate Finance’ Day of Action which marks the culmination of the Global Week of Action for Climate Finance and a Fossil-Free Future.
Tyrone Scott from War on Want said: “We’re taking action here in the UK and across the world because wealthy countries in the Global North, such as the UK, have long made big promises on tackling the climate crisis — but have so far failed to deliver the resources needed to honour them.
“Those who are facing the worst consequences of our reliance on fossil fuels have done the least to cause this crisis, yet face the worst effects. Against this backdrop, the UK refuses to pay up its fair share in climate finance and reparations to help countries adapt to and mitigate against a crisis they have not caused.”
A Freedom of Information request made by financial journalist, broadcaster, and speaker PAUL LEWIS has revealed the likely impact of cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment.
Mr Lewis says the DWP response (below) that shows the Labour government knew:
* 1.6m disabled pensioners would lose winter fuel payment
* 780,000 of the poorest pensioners who were entitled still would not get it – so ‘protecting the poorest’ was a lie.
Serena Wiebe is a campaigner, and boxing coach and mentor at Empire Fighting Chance. On Monday 9 September, she attended the first annual Knife Crime Summit at Downing Street:
Knife crime has impacted me in ways I can’t explain. It’s forced me to grow up and deal with situations I shouldn’t have had to deal with at such a young age.
I’m 20 now, but I’ve been losing friends constantly since I was 17. When I hear someone has been stabbed, I think: oh my god, is it someone in my family? Is it one of my friends?
Imagine you losing your child or your friend to a knife, and how damaging that is. Imagine not being able to see them again because their life has been taken from them by someone else. That has become my reality, it’s what I am used to now.
I originally started working with Empire Fighting Chance because my brother took his own life. We’re a charity which uses non-contact boxing to inspire young people to reach their full potential, and my journey with them started because I wanted to help young people who were in the same situation as him, and me.
Over time, I began losing more and more people in my life to knife crime. But the trigger for me was losing Eddie, one of my best friends growing up.
Eddie King Muthemba Kinuthia and I had been friends since we were three years old. We were always together. We went to the same nursery and primary school. For a while we went to the same secondary school. As we got older, we drifted slightly, but the love was still there.
He was a really kind person; everyone in our community knew him, and they knew him for the right things. Ever since he died, so many people he knew have tried to honour him in some way, because he was such an important person to so many, and such a good role model.
To have to speak about him in the past tense is crazy. I still can’t believe that he’s gone.
We’re still seeking justice for Eddie, but after losing him I thought, okay I need to do something. This is getting out of hand. I don’t want to see another person I love die.
Since then, I have continued to work with Empire and deliver boxing lessons for free every week to young men who may be involved in knife crime, drug dealing, or any situation that could lead to those things happening.
I work with various organisations which enable me to speak with young people about their experiences with the system and crime and what they would like to change, and I am starting my own youth group, where we come together every fortnight and talk about what we want to change, which I hope can grow and develop over time.
I believe we’re not hearing from young people enough.
We need to be inviting young people to events like today, to places like Downing Street, so they know that their voices are heard. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have been given, but we need to give more young people the platform to share their views.
Attending events like the Knife Crime Summit will help – even being invited has probably changed my life. If I look back to five years ago, I could have gone down a very different path where I was involved in knife crime.
A lot of the young people I work with ask me: “How did you go from there to where you are today?”
Just inviting one young person like me here could have a domino effect on other young people.
I believe it’s important for the right legislation to be in place – that change is good – but we need to focus on immediate action. It’s getting to the point where someone is dying every day.
In my opinion, it’s also about the little things we can do that don’t cost money. Around that table today there were so many role models – Idris Elba, the Prime Minister, loads of MPs – and it is so important to see them supporting organisations like mine, because it can inspire young people.
I was a young person who didn’t believe that I could do anything. Then I met Marvin Rees, who was Mayor of Bristol at the time, and Martin Bisp, the Chief Executive of Empire. They are the reason I am here today.
They showed me that I can come to places like this, I can speak about issues like this, and I can have that domino effect on other young people who feel they don’t have a voice.
HOLYROOD and WESTMINSTER GOVERNMENTS RESPOND TO PETROINEOS’ DECISION TO CLOSE OIL REFINERY
The Scottish and UK Governments have announced a joint investment plan for Grangemouth following Petroineos’ decision to decommission its oil refinery and pledged to work together for an industrial future for the site.
The company today confirmed it will cease refining oil at the site during the second quarter of 2025 onwards due to global market pressures and competition from bigger, more modern and efficient sites in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
This follows years of loss-making, with the company stating that it has lost more than $775 million since 2011 despite having invested more than $1.2 billion to maintain the refinery’s safe operation.
UNITE trade union general secretary Sharon Graeme said the closure is ‘an act of industrial vandalism, pure and simple’.
The Scottish Government has been working with the UK Government to deliver an investment plan that will help secure Grangemouth’s industrial future and protect its skilled workforce.
This includes:
£100 million package. This includes £20 million in joint funding from the Scottish and UK Governments announced today on top of £80 million in joint funding from the two governments for the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal. This funding will support the community and its workers, investing in local energy projects to create new opportunities for growth in the region. Over the next 30 years, it is estimated that the Falkirk & Grangemouth Growth Deal will deliver over £628 million in economic benefits, with an employment impact of 1660 net jobs across the Falkirk Council area.
Immediate career support for workers. Scottish and UK Government to provide tailored support that will help affected workers in finding new employment.
Investment in the site’s long-term future. The £1.5 million joint-funded Project Willow study has identified a shortlist of three credible options to begin building a new long-term industry at the refinery site, including low carbon hydrogen, clean eFuels and sustainable aviation fuels.
It comes as the UK Government confirmed today it stands ready to engage on how the National Wealth Fund could back projects that have the potential to yield a viable long-term future for the site.
Ministers have confirmed that both governments will put local businesses, workers, and trade unions at the heart of decision-making on determining the region’s industrial future.
Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin said:“My immediate thoughts are with the workforce. This is a very challenging time for them and their families, and we will support every worker affected by this decision.
“We are working very closely with the UK Government and together we have communicated our disappointment to Petroineos today.
“The Scottish Government has consistently made clear our preference was for refining to continue as long as possible, and we have continued to press the shareholders for a positive decision until the 11th hour.
“This significant package of support combines immediate help for affected workers and a long-term contribution to ensure that Grangemouth continues to thrive in the future. We are clear that there should be a just transition for the refinery site and we remain committed to bringing forward low carbon opportunities that will sustain skilled jobs across the wider area for many years to come.”
UK Government Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:“It is deeply disappointing that Petroineos have confirmed their previous decision to close Grangemouth oil refinery.
“We will stand with the workforce in these difficult times, that is why we are announcing a package of investment to help the workforce find good, alternative jobs, invest in the community and serve a viable industrial future for the Grangemouth site, with potential for future support from the National Wealth Fund.
“Unlike in the past, the government is working in lockstep with the Scottish Government across every front. Workers and their families should be in no doubt this is a Government that stands with workers, trade unions, and businesses to fight for jobs and investment in Scotland.”
Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray said: “I understand this is a worrying time for the workers at the refinery and the UK Government is working closely with the Scottish Government and Petroineos to ensure they are being supported.
“Both governments have invested in Project Willow to examine how Grangemouth remains an energy hub in Scotland. The enhanced £100 million Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal announced today will help ensure the long-term future of the site – a key part of our journey to clean energy by 2030.
“We remain committed to working together looking at how we can help the area build on its skilled workforce and local expertise to boost economic growth.”
The Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin have taken joint action to urgently engage with Petroineos, industry experts, and trade unions in exploring all possible solutions to secure a viable industrial site for the future, in the event of a decision from the company to close the refinery.
Ministers continue to urge the company to keep refining open for as long as possible, emphasising the company’s responsibility to its employees and the community.
As the company has made clear that there is no viable commercial future for the refinery business, the Scottish and UK Governments have today unveiled a package to help the workforce, invest in the area and secure a viable industrial future for the Grangemouth site, as one of Scotland’s key industrial heartlands.
The company’s decision to convert to an import terminal means that their fuel supply will now be maintained by importing refined products directly, rather than importing crude oil to refine on site.
This will form part of the UK’s diverse and resilient fuel market, covering both imported fuel and refined oil production. Since 2013, the UK has been a net importer of refined products, with imports accounting for 51% of UK demand for all petroleum products in 2023.
In response to today’s news from the company, the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will co-chair an immediate virtual meeting of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board, with Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy Gillian Martin, and the UK Government Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray. Ministers will discuss next steps with local industry leaders, Falkirk Council, trade bodies and unions – ahead of an in-person meeting of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board later in Autumn.
‘AN ACT OF INDUSTRIAL VANDALISM’
Unite, the UK’s leading union, has vowed to explore all avenues to preserve high quality jobs at Grangemouth following the announcement that PetroIneos will go ahead with its plans to close its refinery.
PetroIneos confirmed today that it intends to close the refinery at Grangemouth between April – June 2025 and become an import and export only facility. The announcement places in jeopardy the jobs of the 500 workers directly employed (represented by Unite) at Grangemouth and thousands more in the supply chain.
There is widespread fury within the workplace due to the failure of the bosses and politicians to ensure the future of the site.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This is an act of industrial vandalism, pure and simple.
“This dedicated workforce has been let down by PetroIneos and by the politicians in Westminster and Holyrood who have failed to guarantee production until alternative jobs are in place.
“This is now the last chance for this Labour government to show whether its really on the side of workers and communities. The road to net zero cannot be paid for with workers’ jobs.
“The government must put its money where its mouth is to ensure the jobs are safeguarded. This is the only refinery left in Scotland and it must remain. There are alternative plans.
“This is yet another example of workers paying for a crisis they did not create while billionaire owners laugh all the way to the bank “
Unite is now in high level talks with the government about alternatives for the site including the production of sustainable aviation fuel.
Derek Thomson, Unite Scottish Secretary said: “The sole objective for Unite remains that the jobs at the refinery and thousands more in the supply chain are protected by any means.
“Unite does not accept that the future of the refinery should have been left to the whim and avarice of shareholders. The complex is critical to the nation’s manufacturing base and energy security. The governments involved cannot simply hide behind the convenient smokescreen that this is a commercial decision which they couldn’t influence.”
The Grangemouth complex is of critical strategic economic and infrastructure importance for Scotland and the UK.
It is the only oil refinery in Scotland and it provides four per cent of its GDP and eight per cent of the nation’s manufacturing base.
The Grangemouth support package announced by the Scottish and UK Governments today includes :–
Joint Grangemouth support package:
The Scottish and UK Governments have today confirmed a joint £100 million support package for Grangemouth.
This includes a total of £20 million in additional investments, to support the local Grangemouth community following the closure of the refinery. It covers:
The £10 million Scottish Government ‘Greener Grangemouth’ programme, that aims to deliver projects at the heart of Grangemouth’s just transition.
£10 million from the UK Government for local energy projects, as well as new skills support from the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to help the site’s workers into good clean energy jobs.
Today’s additional funding comes on top of an £80 million Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal, match-funded by the two governments, to back new industries across the region.
The Growth Deal will support a range of new projects, including:
A bioeconomy plant already in the pipeline, which could use waste whisky and food in chemical production processes to reduce reliance on fossil fuels – via technology currently unavailable in the UK.
A new £9m technology centre to support the development, manufacture and use of low carbon technologies. This will help companies substitute their products and industrial processes for greener alternatives, and will be linked to wider hydrogen and carbon capture use and storage projects.
An employment hub led by one of the UK’s largest operators, Forth Ports, will help develop the skilled workforce needed to support emerging energy sectors. The move will help to drive innovation and attract new investment across sectors, such as offshore wind energy, renewable energy production, storage and distribution, and tidal power.
Immediate career support for workers:
The Scottish and UK Governments are working closely with the company, Petroineos, to provide immediate support for affected workers at Grangemouth refinery, while longer-term projects get up and running on the site.
The trade body Fuels Industry UK will ensure affected Grangemouth workers have direct access to a wide range of potential employers. The association will also work with the specialist skills provider Cogent to host job vacancies from relevant employers for the Grangemouth workforce.
Workers at the refinery will also receive tailored advice, helping them to identify new training opportunities – backed by the Scottish Government’s Partnership Action for Continuing Employment framework.
The UK Government has also confirmed that Grangemouth will be among the first areas that the new Office for Clean Energy Jobs will work with to help deliver a just transition for workers.
Project Willow:
A range of proposals to deliver a viable long-term future for the Grangemouth refinery site have been shortlisted by the UK and Scottish governments, as part of a joint-funded £1.5 million feasibility study.
The project is exploring how the region can build on its skilled workforce, local expertise and long heritage as a fuel leader in Scotland to forge a new path in clean energy production.
Following an initial research phase, the project has identified three potential industries that could be hosted on the refinery site. These are:
The production of low-carbon hydrogen.
Clean eFuels synthesised from chemical components like hydrogen or carbon dioxide
Sustainable aviation fuels which use lower carbon sources like forestry and agricultural waste, used cooking oil and carbon captured from the air to produce jet fuel.
These options will now be tested against their potential to create long-term industries in Grangemouth, support new jobs and contribute to the UK’s clean energy transition. The project will engage extensively with the local community, trade unions, businesses, and industrial experts on rapidly assessing the most viable candidates for industrial production on the Grangemouth site.
PM to pledge ‘the biggest reimagining of our NHS since its birth’
PM to set out plan for long term, fundamental reform to fix broken NHS
Lord Darzi’s independent investigation concludes NHS is in ‘critical condition’
Findings provide a diagnosis of the challenges facing the health service, which will inform government’s 10 year plan to reform the NHS
The PM will pledge the ‘biggest reimagining of our NHS since its birth’ in a speech this morning [12 September 2024], following the publication today of a full and independent investigation into the state of the NHS.
Lord Ara Darzi’s probe has concluded the service is in a ‘critical condition’ amidst surging waiting lists and a deterioration in the nation’s underlying health, identifying serious and widespread problems for people accessing services.
The PM will say that the scale of the damage done to the NHS revealed by the report is “unforgivable”, recognising the tragic consequences for too many patients and their families: “People have every right to be angry. It’s not just because the NHS is so personal to all of us – it’s because some of these failings are life and death.
“Take the waiting times in A&E. That’s not just a source of fear and anxiety – it’s leading to avoidable deaths.
“People’s loved ones who could have been saved. Doctors and nurses whose whole vocation is to save them – hampered from doing so. It’s devastating.
He will also address the causes behind the state of the NHS, including the long term impacts of the 2012 Health and Social Care Act which is described in the report as “a calamity without international precedent” which “proved disastrous”, as well as the far reaching consequences of underinvestment throughout the 2010s.
The PM is expected to say: “Our NHS went into the pandemic in a much more fragile state.
“We had higher bed-occupancy rates, fewer doctors, fewer nurses and fewer beds than most other high income health systems in the world.
“And let’s be clear about what caused that…a “scorched earth” approach to health reform, the effects of which are still felt to this day.
“Lord Darzi describes [the 2010s] as “the most austere decade since the NHS was founded”. Crumbling buildings, decrepit portacabins, mental health patients accommodated in Victorian-era cells infested with vermin.
“The 2010s were a lost decade for our NHS…which left the NHS unable to be there for patients today, and totally unprepared for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.”
As well as recognising the cost to people’s health, the PM will also address the inextricable link between the state of the NHS and the nation’s economy: It’s not just the state of our National Health Service in crisis – it’s also the state of our national health.
“There are 2.8 million people economically inactive due to long term sickness, and more than half of those on the current waiting lists for inpatient treatment are working age adults.
“Getting people back to health and work will not only reduce the costs on the NHS, it will drive economic growth – in turn creating more tax receipts to fund public services.
In the face of these dire findings and the growing pressures on the NHS from an ageing society and preventable illnesses, the PM will set out his belief in the ‘profound responsibility’ of government to do the hard work necessary to tackle them: “What we need is the courage to deliver long-term reform – major surgery not sticking plaster solutions.
“The NHS is at a fork in the road, and we have a choice about how it should meet these rising demands.
“Raise taxes on working people to meet the ever-higher costs of aging population – or reform to secure its future.
“We know working people can’t afford to pay more, so it’s reform or die.”
Rooted in Lord Darzi’s diagnoses of the challenges facing the NHS, the Prime Minister will outline three fundamental areas of reform and the imperative to work with staff and patients throughout this process.He is expected to say: “”This government is working at pace to build a Ten-Year Plan. Something so different from anything that has come before.
“Instead of the top-down approach of the past, this plan is going to have the fingerprints of NHS staff and patients all over it.
“And as we build it together, I want to frame this plan around three big shifts – first, moving from an analogue to a digital NHS. A tomorrow service not just a today service.
“Second, we’ve got to shift more care from hospitals to communities… And third, we’ve got to be much bolder in moving from sickness to prevention.
“Only fundamental reform and a plan for the long term can turn around the NHS and build a healthy society. It won’t be easy or quick. But I know we can do it.
“The challenge is clear before us; the change could amount to the biggest reimagining of our NHS since its birth.”
Lord Darzi is an independent peer and practising surgeon with 30 years’ experience in the NHS. He examined over 600 pieces of analysis from DHSC, NHS England and external organisations during his investigation. His report will inform the government’s 10-year plan to reform the health service.
Lord Darzi said: “Although I have worked in the NHS for more than 30 years, I have been shocked by what I have found during this investigation – not just in the health service but in the state of the nation’s health.
“We want to deliver high quality care for all but far too many people are waiting for too long and in too many clinical areas, quality of care has gone backwards.
“My colleagues in the NHS are working harder than ever but our productivity has fallen.
“We get caught up frantically trying to find beds that have been axed or using IT that is outdated or trying to work out how to get things done because operational processes are overwhelmed. It sucks the joy from our work – we became clinicians to help patients get better, not to go into battle with a broken system.
“We need to rebalance the system towards care in the community rather than adding more and more staff to hospitals. And we need a more honest conversation about performance – the NHS is now an open book.
“In the last 15 years, the NHS was hit by three shocks – austerity and starvation of investment, confusion caused by top-down reorganisation, and then the pandemic which came with resilience at an all-time low. Two out of three of those shocks were choices made in Westminster.
“It took more than a decade for the NHS to fall into disrepair so it’s going to take time to fix it. But we in the NHS have turned things around before, and I’m confident we will do it again.”
Despite the damning analysis, Lord Darzi insists the NHS’s vital signs ‘remain strong’ and he praised staff for their ‘shared passion and determination to make the NHS better for our patients’.
In carrying out the review, Lord Darzi brought more than 70 organisations together in an Expert Reference Group and sought input from NHS staff and patients through focus groups and frontline visits.
Responding to the report, Secretary of State Wes Streeting said: “I asked Lord Darzi to tell hard truths about the state of the NHS. He has produced an honest, expert, comprehensive report on the appalling state our health service is in.
“Today’s findings will inform our 10-year plan to radically reform the NHS and get patients treated on time again.
“The damage done to the NHS has been more than a decade in the making. We clearly have a long road ahead. But while the NHS is broken, it’s not beaten. We will turn the NHS around so it is there for you when you need it, once again.”
Today’s report has been welcomed by NHS England and health organisations who have pledged to work closely with the government on its mission to rebuild the NHS.
Amanda Pritchard, NHS England Chief Executive, said: “As this report sets out, staff are the beating heart of the NHS with a shared passion and determination for making the NHS better for patients – but it is also clear they are facing unprecedented challenges.
“Our staff are treating record numbers of patients every day despite ageing equipment and crumbling buildings, a surge in multiple long-term illnesses, and managing the long-lasting effects of the pandemic.
“While teams are working hard to get services back on track, it is clear waiting times across many services are unacceptable and we need to address the underlying issues outlined in Lord Darzi’s report so we can deliver the care we all want for patients.
“As Lord Darzi rightly points out, many of the solutions can be found in parts of the NHS today. That is why we are fully committed to working with government to create a 10-year plan for healthcare to ensure the NHS recovers from Covid, strengthens its foundations and continues to reform so it is fit for future generations”
Key findings from Lord Darzi’s 142-page report include:
Deterioration: The health of the nation has deteriorated over the past 15 years, with a substantial increase in the number of people living with multiple long-term conditions.
Spending: Too great a share of the NHS budget is being spent in hospitals, too little in the community, and productivity is too low.
Waiting times: Waiting lists have swelled and waiting times have surged, with A&E queues more than doubling from an average of just under 40 people on a typical evening in April 2009 to over 100 in April 2024. 1 in 10 patients are now waiting for 12 hours or more.
Cancer care: The UK has appreciably higher cancer mortality rates than other countries, with no progress whatsoever made in diagnosing cancer at stage one and two between 2013 and 2021.
Lasting damage: The Health and Social Care Act of 2012 did lasting damage to the management capacity and capability of the NHS. It took 10 years to return to a sensible structure, and the effects continue to be felt to this day.
Productivity: Too many resources have been being poured into hospitals where productivity had substantially fallen, while too little has been spent in the community.
Responding to the publication of Professor Lord Darzi’s Independent Investigation of the National Health Service in England, Nuffield Trust Chief Executive Thea Stein said:“Lord Darzi’s damning report underlines the stark realities experienced across almost every corner of the health service.
“Wide-ranging problems have been growing in plain sight for years and Darzi’s impressively comprehensive assessment will be familiar to anyone who has studied or experienced the slow deterioration of health care provision in England.
“While not surprising, the report’s findings are deeply troubling. As our research work has repeatedly shown, too often the NHS is not able to provide people with the timely care they need, despite steadfast public commitment to the core principles of the health service. The impacts of this are not felt equally: people in the poorest areas are particularly struggling to access healthcare.
“The big question now is what happens next.
“The Government has an early opportunity to make good on long-argued points on dysfunctional NHS funding in its first Budget next month. The health service is staring down the barrel of a significant shortfall in funding this current year [2] and the Chancellor will need to set out clear plans to tackle this, ahead of a longer-term funding settlement.
“Rightly, the report repeatedly references the interrelated, compounding pressures of the desperate state of social care and cuts to public health provision. But by design it does not dig into those issues. In future, we hope to see serious work by the government to address those broader societal issues that determine population health and impact health care access.
“Ultimately, the Lord Darzi’s diagnostic report sets out important aspirations to be delivered in the forthcoming 10-year plan to treat – and fix – the NHS. But the improvements we all hope for – and that patients desperately need – will take time, commitment and major financial, practical and system-wide support. There will be no quick fixes.”
The Secretary of State told Parliament this afternoon (11 September) of his decision to establish an independent inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 into the murder of Patrick Finucane:
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement about the death of Patrick Finucane.
Patrick Finucane was a human rights lawyer. On 12 February 1989 he was brutally murdered in his home in North Belfast by the loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Defence Association in front of his wife, Geraldine, who was wounded, and his three children, one of whom is now the Honourable Member for Belfast North.
From that day onwards, Mrs Finucane and her family have campaigned tirelessly in search of answers about the killing of their loved one.
In 1990 an inquest was opened and closed on the same day with an open verdict.
Subsequently, a number of investigations and reviews were conducted.
In 2001, following the collapse of power sharing, the UK and Irish governments agreed at Weston Park to establish public inquiries into a number of Troubles-related cases, if recommended by an international judge.
Judge Peter Cory was appointed to conduct a review of each case and in 2004 he recommended that the UK Government hold public inquiries into four deaths: those of Rosemary Nelson, Robert Hamill, Billy Wright, and Patrick Finucane.
Judge Cory also recommended that the Irish Government establish a tribunal of inquiry into the deaths of former RUC officers Bob Buchanan and Harry Breen.
Inquiries were promptly established in all of these cases, with one exception – the death of Mr Finucane.
Meanwhile, in 2003 the third investigation by Sir John Stevens into alleged collusion between the security forces and Loyalist paramilitaries had concluded that there had been state collusion in Mr Finucane’s killing.
That investigation was followed by the conviction, in 2004, of one of those responsible, Ken Barrett.
With criminal proceedings concluded, the then Northern Ireland Secretary, Paul Murphy, made a statement to Parliament setting out the Government’s commitment to establish an inquiry. But despite a number of attempts, the Government was unable to reach agreement with the Finucane family on arrangements for one.
In 2011, the coalition government decided against an inquiry. Instead, a review of what had happened – led by Sir Desmond de Silva QC – was established. Sir Desmond concluded that he was left “in no doubt that agents of the State were involved in carrying out serious violations of human rights up to and including murder.”
The publication of his findings in 2012 led the then-Prime Minister, David Cameron, to make an unprecedented apology from this despatch box to the Finucane family on behalf of the British Government, citing the “shocking levels of State collusion” in this case.
In 2019, the Supreme Court found that all the previous investigations had been insufficient to enable the State to discharge its obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Court identified a number of deficiencies in the State’s compliance with Article 2. In particular, Sir Desmond’s review did not have the power to compel the attendance of witnesses; those who met Sir Desmond were not subject to testing as to the accuracy of their evidence; and a potentially critical witness was excused from attendance.
In November 2020 the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland announced that he would not be establishing a public inquiry at that time, pending the outcome of continuing investigations, but that decision was quashed by the Northern Ireland High Court in December 2022.
Mr Speaker, this Government takes its human rights obligations – and its responsibilities to victims and survivors of the Troubles – extremely seriously.
And the plain fact is that two decades on, the commitment made by the Government – first in the agreement with the Irish Government, and then to this House – to establish an inquiry into the death of Mr Finucane remains unfulfilled.
It is for this exceptional reason that I have decided to establish an independent inquiry into the death of Patrick Finucane under the 2005 Inquiries Act.
I have, of course, met Mrs Finucane and her family. First on 25 July to hear their views, and again yesterday, to inform them of my decision. Mrs Finucane asked the Government to set up a public inquiry under the 2005 Act and – as I have just told the House – the Government has now agreed to do that, in line with both the 2019 Supreme Court ruling and the Court of Appeal judgement in July this year.
In making this decision, I have, as is required, considered the likely costs and impact on the public finances. It is the Government’s expectation that the inquiry will – while doing everything that is required to discharge the State’s human rights obligations – avoid unnecessary costs given all the previous reviews and investigations, and the large amount of information and material that is already in the public domain.
Indeed, in the most recent High Court proceedings, the Judge suggested that an inquiry could “build on the significant investigative foundations which are already in place”.
Mr Speaker, as part of my decision-making process, I did also consider whether to refer this case to the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery. The Commission has powers comparable to those provided by the Inquiries Act to compel witnesses and to secure the disclosure of relevant documents by state bodies – powers identified by the Supreme Court as being crucial for the Government to discharge its human rights obligations.
The Commission was found in separate proceedings in February this year by the High Court to be sufficiently independent and capable of conducting Article 2 compliant investigations, and while I am committed to considering measures to further strengthen the Commission, I have every confidence in its ability, under the leadership of Sir Declan Morgan, to find answers for survivors and families.
However, given the unique circumstances of this case, and the solemn commitment made by the Government in 2001 and again in 2004, the only appropriate way forward is to establish a public inquiry.
Mr Speaker, many of us in this House remember the savage brutality of the Troubles – a truly terrible time in our history – and we must never forget that most of the deaths and injuries were the responsibility of paramilitaries, including the Ulster Defence Association, the Provisional IRA, and others, and we should also – always – pay tribute to the work during that time of the Armed Forces, police and security services, the vast majority of whom served with distinction and honour, and so many of whom sacrificed their lives in protecting others.
It is very hard for any of us to understand fully the trauma of those who lost loved ones – sons and daughters, spouses and partners, fathers and mothers – and what they have been through, and there is of course nothing that any of us can do to bring them back or to erase the deep pain that was caused.
But what we can do is to seek transparency to help provide answers to families, and to work together for a better future for Northern Ireland which has made so much progress since these terrible events. I hope that this inquiry will – finally – provide the information that the Finucane family has sought for so long.
The Government will seek to appoint a Chair of the Inquiry and establish its Terms of Reference as soon as possible, and I will update the House further.
Mr Speaker, I commend this Statement to the House.
‘After 35 years of cover-ups, it is time for truth’
STATEMENT BY GERALDINE FINUCANE ON BEHALF OF THE FINUCANE FAMILY
I welcome the announcement of the Secretary of State in the House of Commons today, that an independent statutory public inquiry will be established into the murder of my husband, Patrick Finucane.
After 35 years of campaigning for such an inquiry, I believe this announcement represents a significant step forward for my family in our fight to uncover all of the circumstances behind Pat’s murder.
It has been a long journey to get to the point where the establishment of an independent public inquiry has finally become a reality. I look forward to having the opportunity to participate in a statutory inquiry and expose publicly the whole truth behind the murder of my husband.
This has always been the objective of the campaign that my family and I have pursued for 35 years. We have only ever been concerned with uncovering the truth. It is this that has kept us going.
It is the thing that has been missing, all these years. We did not believe that his murder was simply the work of gunmen who killed him. We had no confidence that police investigations would ever bring those truly responsible to justice.
We were not satisfied with private, limited reviews from which we were excluded. We could not and did not accept the assurances of previous British governments that they were anxious to set the record straight, because they were never prepared to do so in public.
An independent, statutory public inquiry is and was the only way to bring the whole truth behind the murder of Pat Finucane into the light of day.
The journey to this point is not one that my family and I have had to endure alone. Indeed, we would never have succeeded without the assistance and support and encouragement of so many people over the years.
I could not begin to thank them all by name here today. So many people, all over the world, were willing to give generously of their time and talent again and again. I want to record my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to each and every one of them.
We would not be here today without them.
However, I would like to single out one person out for special mention, and that is Peter Madden. Peter was my husband’s business partner and friend, throughout Pat’s all-too-short legal career.
He has been a source of unending strength and resilience. I cannot thank him enough for what he has done for my family, or, indeed, the entire legal team that has represented us so fearlessly and brilliantly in our fight for a public inquiry.
Most of all, I believe this inquiry can be a watershed moment in the difficult subject of legacy in this part of our island. If a public inquiry in to the murder of Pat Finucane can finally publicly examine all of the collusion that plagued our society for so many years, then there is hope that the real process of healing can begin.
The murder of Pat Finucane is the last remaining Weston Park case. It is high time it was properly investigated, publicly examined, and finally resolved.
I believe that my family deserve this after so many years. Pat Finucane deserves this after so many years. Society as a whole deserves this, after so many years.
After 35 years of cover-ups, it is time for truth.
MORE COMMENTS:
IRISH TAOISEACH SIMON HARRIS
MICHEAL MARTIN, IRISH MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
I welcome the announcement that the Finucane family has secured a public inquiry into the killing of their beloved father and husband, Pat Finucane.
Today is a testament to the unwavering spirit and resolve of Pat’s wife, Geraldine, and their children, Katherine, Michael, and John.
The Finucane family’s determination and dignity throughout 35 years of the most difficult of campaigning has brought about this landmark day.
Their campaign has been an inspiration to all families struggling for truth and justice. I will continue to support the Finucane family as they continue on their journey towards truth and justice for Pat.
MICHELLE O’NEILL, FIRST MINISTER – NORTHERN IRELAND ASSEMBLY
REEVES VOWS TO MAKE EVERY PART OF BRITAIN BETTER OFF
Chancellor Rachel Reeves secures a planned £8 billion investment from Amazon Web Services which is estimated to support around 14,000 jobs per year across the UK.
The Chancellor will welcome the announcement as part of the Government’s mission to boost growth, unlock investment and make every part of Britain better off.
Rachel Reeves will say the Government’s mission to ‘fix the foundations of our economy has only just begun.’
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has today [11 September] confirmed an £8 billion investment from Amazon Web Services which is estimated to support thousands of jobs across the UK.
The Chancellor secured the planned five-year investment last week at a meeting with Amazon Web Services.
The investment is estimated to support around 14,000 jobs per year at local businesses, including those across the company’s data centre supply chain such as construction, facility maintenance, engineering and telecommunications, as well as well as other jobs within the broader local economy.
AWS estimates that these investments in the UK will contribute £14 billion to the UK’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 2024 to 2028.
Rachel Reeves will welcome the announcement as part of the government’s long-term mission to boost growth, unlock investment and make every part of Britain better off.
Speaking from a University Technical College in Silverstone today, which works with Amazon Web Services to introduce students to the skills required to enter the digital infrastructure industry, the Chancellor will warn that ‘change cannot happen overnight’ and ‘two quarters of positive economic growth will not make up for fourteen years of stagnation under the previous government.’
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said: “I am under no illusion to the scale of the challenge facing our economy and I will be honest with the British people that change will not happen overnight.
“Two quarters of positive economic growth does not make up for fourteen years of stagnation under the previous government.
“However, this £8 billion investment marks the start of the economic revival and shows Britain is a place to do business. I am determined to go further so we can deliver on our mandate to create jobs, unlock investment and make every part of Britain better off.
“The hard work to fix the foundations of our economy has only just begun.”
Amazon Web Services Vice Presidentand Managing Director, Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), Tanuja Randery said:“The next few years could be among the most pivotal for the UK’s digital and economic future, as organisations of all sizes across the country increasingly embrace technologies like cloud computing and AI to help them accelerate innovation, increase productivity, and compete on the global stage.
“AWS is proud to announce our plans to invest £8 billion in digital and AI infrastructure over the next five years to help meet the growing needs of our customers and partners, and support the transformation of the UK’s digital economy.”
AWS do not release the exact location of their data centres for security reasons, but these centres are servicing London and the West and so are located in areas that facilitate this.
The government is also actively engaged in conversations with the company about investments in other parts of the UK.
Today’s investment announcement comes ahead of this year’s UK International Investment Summit on 14 October, where the UK will bring together the world’s most important companies and investors, demonstrating how the UK’s offer is the best in the world, with political and economic stability, a strategic government partnering with businesses, a proper trade strategy, and policies designed to enable growth.
