Jersey Opera House's interim chair steps down
A spokesperson for the venue said Mr Whelan was "born in the shadow" of the building and had been associated with the Opera House for 13 years.They added Mr Whelan's efforts had helped secure £12.5m of public money for the renovation work."We thank him for his dedicated service to the Opera House - his efforts have contributed to the building celebrating its 125th birthday in grand style and have secured its future," the spokesperson said.The Opera House said a "diverse artistic programme" was in place for the autumn season.
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The Independent
2 minutes ago
- The Independent
Donate-a-phone schemes and tech workshops in line for £9.5m Government backing
Donate-a-phone schemes and computer workshops will receive Government backing worth £9.5 million, as part of a plan to help older people and low-income households access an 'essential for modern life'. The funding will go towards charity and council schemes in an effort to tackle digital exclusion. According to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the money will help connect the 1.6 million people who live entirely offline with the online world. 'It is unacceptable that in 2025, millions of people across the UK simply can't access the vast opportunities that technology and the online world offers,' telecoms minister Sir Chris Bryant said, adding that 'digital inclusion is an essential for modern life and work, not just something that's nice to have'. Sir Chris also said: 'Making technology widely accessible could be the thing that means a sick patient can speak to a GP remotely, or that helps a young person successfully apply for a job. 'Through this funding we're moving further to empower local leaders and groups nationwide, who are already working tirelessly to get their communities connected and change countless lives for the better.' The Government launched its Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund as part of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, which also includes an ambition to pilot a device donation scheme, so re-purposed Whitehall laptops will go to people who need them. Older and disabled people, low-income households and jobseekers are among the groups more likely to be digitally excluded, according to the plan.
BBC News
3 minutes ago
- BBC News
c23p028p200o (GIF Image, 1 × 1 pixels)
Theo Leggett International Business Correspondent BBC A gleaming white Vivaro van drove slowly off the production line at Vauxhall's factory in Luton, beeping its horn, while workers cheered and crowded around taking photographs. Behind it, the production line came to a halt – forever. The Luton plant began building cars in 1905. It kept operating for the next 120 years, taking time out to build tanks and aircraft engines during World War Two. But on 28 March, that came to an end. The factory shut down, a victim of cutbacks at Vauxhall's parent company, Stellantis. Justin Nicholls, a production shift manager, was one of the 1,100 workers there - he had worked at the plant for 38 years. "It was devastating, because it came out of the blue", he says. "It was a complete surprise." It followed the closure of Honda's car factory in Swindon in 2021, and Ford's engine plant in Bridgend the year before. Together, they have come to symbolise an apparent long-term decline in the UK motor industry. Daily Herald/Mirrorpix via Getty Images Vauxhall's Luton plant has been building cars since 1905 until production stopped earlier this year In all, just 417,000 new cars and vans were built in the UK in the first six months of 2025, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) - the lowest for that period since 1953. Output for the year is expected to be around 755,000 vehicles — lower even than during the Covid-19 pandemic. The SMMT's chief executive, Mike Hawes, described the situation as "depressing". The sector contributes some £22bn a year to the economy, according to the SMMT, and as recently as 2023 automotive manufacturing employed some 198,000 people in the UK. Andy Palmer, who was previously chief executive of Aston Martin, believes the ecosystem - and the sum it contributes to the economy - can only survive if the industry maintains its current scale. "There is a critical mass of employment," he explains. "Once you go below that, you see it all fall apart. "You don't have the university courses, you don't have people coming across from the aero industry, you don't have the pipeline of skilled engineers that allow the luxury firms to exist, and so on." And the knock-on effect of this could affect regions already facing challenges. "If we think about parts of the UK that have automotive plants, they're often disadvantaged regions," says David Bailey, professor of business economics at Birmingham Business School. "Losing these good quality jobs would have a big impact in terms of wages for workers and also a knock-on effect in terms of the multiplier on the local economy." He is concerned about what has already been lost. "I'd argue that actually we've let too much of this go already. I think once it's gone, it's really gone." The question is, can the industry recover - or is it too late? A concealed deeper problem The UK car industry is sprawling. Alongside large factories run by the likes of JLR, Nissan, BMW MINI and Toyota, there is a network of suppliers and high-tech specialist engineering firms, along with a number of smaller, luxury car firms, such as Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and McLaren, plus bus and truck manufacturers. In 2016, the UK produced 1.82m new vehicles – more than at any point since 1999. Yet even at that point, storm clouds were already gathering. And the industry has suffered further over the past decade. Factory closures have had an impact, but other factors have been at play as well, including uncertainty over US trade policy, which has hit exports to a major market. Then there was the role of Brexit. Adam Vaughan/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images One of the UK's leading manufacturers, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has deliberately moved upmarket in recent years, meaning it now sells fewer cars - also contributing to the lower figure of UK car production "Obviously, Brexit had a big impact", says Santiago Arieu, senior autos research analyst at Fitch Solutions. "It created uncertainty and complicated future visibility." As a result, experts say new investment suffered – just as the industry was gearing up for the massive changes being brought by the transition to electric vehicles. The agreement with the EU to guarantee continued tariff-free trade soothed the industry's concerns when it came. But by then, there was another challenge to contend with. The pandemic caused havoc within the industry globally. In 2020, output dropped by nearly a third, hitting levels not seen since the mid-1980s. It also threw finely tuned global supply chains out of kilter and created shortages of vital parts. Although demand for new cars was spiking, manufacturers simply couldn't build them quickly enough. Reuters/ Chris Radburn 'Losing these good quality jobs would have a big impact in terms of wages for workers and also a knock-on effect in terms of the multiplier on the local economy,' says one expert All of this caused short-term disruption - but the impact concealed a deeper, structural problem for the UK industry. Quite simply, it has become an expensive place to build cars. Part of this is to do with labour costs. Although lower than in some other Western European countries, particularly Germany, they are around twice the level seen in Central European nations such as Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. Then, there are energy costs. British manufacturers currently pay some of the highest electricity prices in the world. "Car makers operating in the UK also have factories in Europe and elsewhere, so it's not hard for them to find a replacement for their UK production," explains Felipe Munoz of JATO Dynamics. The former chief executive of Stellantis, Carlos Tavares, has previously criticised the cost of manufacturing cars in the UK and northern Europe – while holding up the company's Kenitra factory in Morocco as a model of efficiency. The investments starting to bear fruit When the Luton plant shut last year, it was estimated by Luton Borough Council that the move could cost the regional economy £300m per year. A small part of the workforce relocated to Stellantis' other UK plant, at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, where the company is in the process of investing £50m in expanding production. Of those who have not relocated, some retired. "[Others] are taking quite a reduction in pay", says Gary Reay, who was a representative of the Unite union at the plant. The factory site has been bought by a property firm, Goodman - it plans to create more than 1,700 jobs at a new industrial park. Mr Reay is unimpressed. "The problem for the workforce… is this is years down the road… It's too far away for most of our workers." Toby Melville/PA Wire Just 417,000 new cars and vans were built in the UK in the first six months of 2025 Yet there is hope in some quarters: it is possible this year's output may turn out to be a low point, as recent investments start to bear fruit. In 2024, for example, Nissan stopped building its ageing electric Leaf model at its Sunderland plant — having previously been building about 30,000 a year. But it is due to begin making a new version this year and will start building an electric version of the Juke in 2026. Nissan is also one of the manufacturers set to benefit from investments in gigafactories. Nissan's battery partner AESC is building one in Sunderland, which will be able to make power packs for 100,000 electric vehicles a year. JLR's parent company, Tata, meanwhile, is investing in its own plant in Somerset, through its subsidiary Agratas. The government says it wants to increase the number of cars and commercial vehicles built annually to 1.3m by 2035. The SMMT believes 803,000 vehicles will leave the production lines next year but bringing that up to 1.3m looks like a very tall order, according to Mike Hawes. Greg McDonald, the CEO of Goodfish Group, is also circumspect. "I don't think many people think there's going to be a resurgence," he says. His business makes injection moulded components for carmakers and has four sites across the UK. It also has a base in Slovakia. "Suppliers like us are used to being constantly bid at for price and cost reductions, and there's a limit to how much you can do." Diversifying or Chinese investment? One way of mitigating this is for businesses to diversify - something more viable for smaller businesses in the sector. Burnett's Manufacturing, based in Northampton, is one of many automotive suppliers clustered around the Midlands Corridor. A manufacturer of specialist rubber and plastic parts, it relies on the motor industry for about 40% of its business. But it also provides components for shipbuilders and oil and gas firms. According to technical sales manager, Rich Dixon, smaller companies are more flexible and able to adapt to changing circumstances. "I think we're lucky in some ways, because 60% of our business is diversified across many different industries," he says. "The last thing you want to be is 100% automotive. "The difficulty is that higher up the food chain, there are some big companies that are very reliant on automotive." Yang Dong/VCG via Getty Images Chinese giants such as Dongfeng want to expand their international operations Some argue there is another way forward. Chinese giants such as Chery Group and Dongfeng want to expand their international operations – and see the transition to electric vehicles as an opportunity to do this in the European market. "If you embrace the move to electric vehicles and become a leading light in attracting Chinese investment, then you can do what China did to us in the past, which is essentially use collaboration to rebuild your industry," argues Andy Palmer, who now owns and invests in clean energy companies. This would, he adds, require significant government action, including negotiations with Beijing. The question is, is it already too late? One senior executive, who has spent decades in the European industry, doesn't believe the UK will become a major player in the EV market. "I don't think governments have spent the necessary time and energy preparing for the shift to EVs. Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images The UK is home to a number of luxury car firms, such as Bentley "I don't see much opportunity for new players to come in," says the executive, who asked not to be named. "It's all about encouraging those who are already here to stay, and if possible to expand." Another option, Felipe Munoz believes, is that the UK could double down on its position as a key player in the market for high-end cars. This could mean becoming a hub for the production of luxury Chinese designs, while allowing cheaper mass-market models to be built elsewhere. "I think people globally are willing to pay a premium for a British-made luxury car," adds Prof Bailey. The Great British 'brain drain' There is plenty at stake here, and it goes beyond the impact on local communities when factories are lost or suppliers stop trading. "I also worry about it in terms of impacts on productivity, exports, and research and development," says Prof Bailey. "Part of the reason why we've got poor productivity performance in the UK is that we have allowed too much manufacturing to go." This is where we differ from our European counterparts, argues Steve Fowler, EV editor for The Independent. "We tend not to support our homegrown industries in the same way that other countries do". What is harder to assess is the loss of national prestige. When MG Rover collapsed in 2005, there was an outcry, not just because thousands lost their jobs, but also because it was perceived as a symbol of the wider decline of British industry. This became even more marked when MG – a classic British brand – became a boutique badge for cars made in China. Bloomberg via Getty Images 'The UK is a great place to make cars, we have incredible expertise' Many of the upmarket brands that still build cars in this country deliberately trade on their British identity. Think of Rolls Royce, Bentley, McLaren and Lotus. Even BMW-Mini, a mass market manufacturer, is more than willing to wave the Union Jack – or rather, have it painted on door mirrors and roofs. If those cars were no longer built in Britain, it might well be perceived as a national humiliation. And for some, the decline of the auto industry would almost certainly be perceived as a symptom of a much wider loss. "I do think people are [becoming] much more aware of where things are made," argues Mr Fowler. "This isn't necessarily a nationalistic thing, but more a sustainability thing. Do you want your car to have travelled halfway around the world to reach you?" Ultimately, he says, there is already "a bit of a brain drain of talent, because the opportunities, bluntly, aren't here in the UK. "[But] the UK is a great place to make cars, we have incredible expertise, we have some of the best engineers and people who can build them better than anybody else." Top image credit: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below.
BBC News
3 minutes ago
- BBC News
Nuclear-powered AI could make Rolls Royce UK's biggest firm, says boss
Rolls-Royce's plan to power artificial intelligence (AI) with its nuclear reactors could make it the UK's most valuable company, its boss has engineering firm has signed deals to provide small modular reactors (SMRs) to the UK and Czech governments to power AI-driven data has boomed in popularity since 2022, but the technology use lots of energy, something which has raised practical and environmental chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic told the BBC it has the "potential" to become the UK's highest-valued company by overtaking the largest firms on the London Stock Exchange thanks to its SMR deals. "There is no private company in the world with the nuclear capability we have. If we are not market leader globally, we did something wrong," he Erginbilgic has overseen a ten-fold increase in Rolls-Royce's share price since taking over in January he has ruled out the idea of Rolls-Royce seeking to list its shares in New York as British chip designer Arm has done and the likes of Shell and AstraZeneca have considered in the search for higher is despite the fact that 50% of its shareholders and customers are US-based."It's not in our plan," said Mr Erginbilgic, a Turkish energy industry veteran. "I don't agree with the idea you can only perform in the US. That's not true and hopefully we have demonstrated that." AI investment Rolls-Royce already supplies the reactors that power dozens of nuclear submarines. Mr Erginbilgic said the company has a massive advantage in the future market of bringing that technology on land in the form of are not only smaller but quicker to build than traditional nuclear plants, with costs likely to come down as units are rolled estimates that the world will need 400 SMRs by 2050. At a cost of up to $3bn (£2.2bn) each, that's another trillion dollar-plus market he wants and expects Rolls-Royce to company has signed a deal to develop six SMRs for the Czech Republic and is developing three for the it remains an unproven technology. Mr Erginbilgic conceded he could not currently point to a working SMR example but said he was confident in its future are also concerns about the demands on water supplies from the data centre and SMR cooling systems. In response, companies including Google, Microsoft and Meta have signed deals to take energy from SMRs in the US when they are available. Next generation aircraft Rolls-Royce sees SMRs as key to its future, but its biggest business is aircraft engines. Already dominant in supplying engines to wide-bodied aircraft like Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, it plans to break into the next generation of narrow-bodied aircraft like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. This market is worth $1.6tn - nine times that of the wide-bodied .Rolls-Royce is a bit player in a market that has powerful and successful leaders, and that rival Pratt and Witney lost $8bn trying and failing to break market is dominated by CFM International – a joint venture between US-based GE Aerospace and French company Safran Aerospace veterans told the BBC that market leaders can and will drop prices to airline customers long enough to see off a new assault on their market Mr Erginbilgic said this is not just the biggest business opportunity for Rolls-Royce. Rather, it is "for industrial strategy... the single biggest opportunity for the UK for economic growth". "No other UK opportunity, I challenge, will match that," he said. Share price up ten-fold Although Rolls-Royce sold its car making business to BMW nearly 30 years ago, the name of the company is still synonymous with British engineering in the early part of this decade that shine had worn off. The company was heavily indebted, its profit margins were non-existent, and thousands of staff were being laid Mr Erginbilgic took over in January 2023, he likened the company to "a burning platform"."Our cost of capital was 12%, our return was 4% so every time we invested we destroyed value," he and a half years later, the company expects to make a profit of over £3bn, its debt levels have fallen and shares have risen over 1,000% - a ten-fold rise. So how did that happen? And is Mr Erginbilgic right to think that Rolls-Royce's roll is only just starting? 'Grudging respect' The timing of his appointment was fortunate according to some industry veterans. Rolls-Royce's biggest business – supplying engines to commercial airlines – has rebounded strongly from the Covid pandemic. The company's most successful product – the Trent series of aircraft engines – are at the sweet spot of profitability as the returns on investment in their development over a decade ago begin to pour into company full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 arguably made it almost inevitable that its defence business would see higher spending from European governments – which has been confirmed by recent announcements. Unions have not always been fans of Mr Erginbilgic's hard-charging approach. In October 2023, one of his first major move was cutting jobs, which drew criticism from Sharon Graham, the boss of the Unite union. "This announcement appears to be about appeasing the markets and its shareholders while ignoring its workers," she said at the overall global headcount has grown from 43,000 to 45,000 since 2023 and union sources say there is "grudging respect" for Mr sources give him one third of the credit for the turnaround around in the company's fortunes, with a third credited to market conditions and a third to his predecessor Warren East for "steadying the ship". So does Mr Erginbilgic really believe that Rolls-Royce can be the UK's most valuable company – overtaking the likes of AstraZeneca, HSBC, and Shell?"We are now number five in the FTSE. I believe the growth potential we created in the company right now, in our existing business and our new businesses, actually yes – we have that potential."Rolls-Royce is undoubtedly a company with the wind at its back – and Tufan Ergenbilgic certainly believes he has set the sails just right.
