Cabinet minister compares himself to England footballer Jordan Henderson
The Cabinet minister said he wants to create the best opportunities for businesses to 'put the ball into the net'.
He made the comments a day after the Government published its 10-year Industrial Strategy aimed at creating jobs and prosperity in sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), offshore wind power and electric vehicle battery production.
"In football terms, the government's job is never to be the star striker. That's your job. You've got to go out and score the goals. But I like to be Jordan Henderson, dictating the pace of play, protecting the back line, making the passes forward to give businesses the best… pic.twitter.com/Ocr3I1Ullx
— SMMT (@SMMT) June 24, 2025
Mr Reynolds and Henderson were both born in Sunderland.
Speaking at a summit hosted by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in central London on Tuesday, the Business Secretary said: 'I like to be, bear with me here, the Jordan Henderson of Government. A fellow Mackem hero.
'Dictating the pace of play, protecting the back line, making the passes forward to give businesses the best opportunity to put the ball into the net.
'That's our goal, as the Government. On the pitch, working hard, always making sure the ball goes to the right place, but fundamentally facilitating other people's success.'
Mr Reynolds said the Government's plan sets out how the UK will 'solidify itself as the best place in the world to start, to grow and to invest in advanced manufacturing'.
He went on: 'That means an ambition to nearly double the annual business investment in the sector by 2035.
'In an automotive context, that means growing our output to over 1.3 million vehicles by 2035, helping to stabilise and grow our supply chain.
'Now that's a huge task. Previous governments would not have had this level of ambition, but we know it is well within your grasp.'
UK factories produced 779,584 new cars in 2024.
Henderson, 35, played for Dutch side Ajax last season but there is speculation he could return to the Premier League.
In March, Thomas Tuchel ended Henderson's 18-month exile from international football by selecting him in his first squad as England head coach.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
22 minutes ago
- Times
Labour's industrial energy strategy lacks ambition, say carmakers
The automotive industry has told the government that its plan to cut high energy costs for Britain's manufacturers does not go far or deep enough. In its long-awaited industrial strategy announced this week, the government said it planned to cut bills by up to 25 per cent for higher energy-intensive manufacturers in an attempt to help them become more competitive with international rivals. It said its proposals would help energy costs for as many as 7,000 companies. • Keir Starmer unveils 'targeted, long-term' industrial strategy At the annual summit of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) in London on Tuesday, officials and delegates questioned whether the plan would do enough for manufacturers to become competitive on the global stage at a time when their costs are rising as they attempt to hit net-zero targets. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, told the summit that the level of reduction and planned help could only be the start as British manufacturers have the highest energy costs of anywhere in the world and more than double that of some European Union competitors. This is against a backdrop of also having some of the world's highest business rates and regulatory costs. 'It's a good first step but we need to go further,' he said of the government's strategy. The co-architect of the government proposals, Sam Lister, director-general of industrial strategy at the Department for Business and Trade, conceded: 'We are bottom of the global league tables for competitiveness with energy costs [in average for high-intensity users] of £160 per MWhr. The interventions announced … gets us down to about £120/MWhr.' He added: 'That is a significant reduction that gets us back into the middle of the pack in terms of Europe.' One delegate, however, immediately reacted: 'Is that ambitious enough?' Of the plans to help 7,000 manufacturing companies, Katherine Bennett, chief executive of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, a government co-funded agency, said: 'What happens to the 7,001st and others that are not eligible?' The carworkers' leader Steve Turner, assistant general secretary at Unite the trade union, said the aid proposals would not go deeply enough into the manufacturing supply chain. The price of energy is the single largest issue for employers, he said, and its reform is crucial 'if we want to be competitive'. Britain has large manufacturing plants at Sunderland with Nissan, in the West Midlands with Jaguar Land Rover and Oxford with BMW Mini. At lower volumes Toyota makes hybrids in Derbyshire and Stellantis builds electric vans in Cheshire. Rolls-Royce in Sussex, Bentley in Cheshire and Aston Martin in Warwickshire are among the world's top luxury carmakers. In recent times Honda has quit Britain and Jaguar closed its old plant to assembly. • Energy prices mean UK industrial strategy is built on weakness Of the government's commitment that the industrial strategy's primary aims are exports and attracting foreign inward investment, Turner said: 'Who's going to come here the way the energy costs are?' He warned of a 'policy disconnect' in the cabinet over policy objectives of departments, for example, between the business department's industrial strategy and the energy department's net zero agenda. 'We cannot decarbonise by deindustrialisation,' Turner said. 'We have got to get a co-ordinated strategy across government.' Regarding the mechanisms to deliver cheaper industrial energy, Lister admitted: 'We have more to do on how we do it.' As for the government's industrial energy plans, Liam Byrne, the chairman of the Commons business select committee, has both cheered and warned the government. 'Ministers have heeded the call for bold action to slash the industrial energy costs that hang like an albatross around the neck of British business,' he said. 'This is not a minor shift. It is, perhaps, the most substantial remaking of the way government and business work together that we've seen in a generation, but now we need to see the small print of how the plan for energy will be delivered.'
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
UK will buy nuclear-capable fighter jets as Brits told to 'prepare for war'
Keir Starmer has said that the UK will buy at least 12 F35A fighter jets, capable of firing both nukes and conventional weapons, as the country bolsters its nuclear deterrent Britain will buy fighter jets capable of firing nuclear missiles for the first time since the Cold War as the public were told to "actively prepare" for war on home soil. In the major bolstering of the UK's nuclear deterrent, Keir Starmer said Britain will purchase at least 12 F35A fighter jets, capable of firing both nukes and conventional weapons. The new fighter jets will be armed with American B61 gravity bombs. Britain is the only major nuclear power that has just one platform to unleash its arsenal - the Trident submarines which provide the continuous at-sea deterrent. France has both air and sea capability, while the US can launch nukes from air, land and sea. The Government warned the public today that they must "actively prepare" for war on British soil "for the first time in many years". The long-awaited National Security Strategy said tackling the danger of nuclear weapons will be "more complex than it was even in the Cold War". Major powers like China and Russia are seeking to gain an upper hand in "outer space, cyberspace, the deep sea, and at the Arctic and Antarctic poles", it said. And the report also warned that hostile states may join forces with terror groups and criminals to carry out attacks on these shores. It states: "For the first time in many years, we have to actively prepare for the possibility of the UK homeland coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario." The document said the years ahead will test the nation - with a World War Two-style spirit needed to deal with growing threats. The Prime Minister revealed plans to bolster Britain's nuclear capabilities as he arrived in the Netherlands on Tuesday for a high-stakes NATO summit. He joined members of the 32-strog Western defensive alliance in committing to hike defence and security spending up to 5% by 2035. The UK will buy American-made fast jets, which will be based at RAF Marham, in Norfolk, and will deploy them as part of NATO's nuclear mission. The Government expected to procure 138 F35s over the lifetime of the programme. Unveiling the plans, the PM said: 'In an era of radical uncertainty we can no longer take peace for granted, which is why my government is investing in our national security, ensuring our Armed Forces have the equipment they need and communities up and down the country reap the benefits from our defence dividend. "Supporting 100 businesses across the country and more than 20,000 jobs, these F35 dual capable aircraft will herald a new era for our world-leading Royal Air Force and deter hostile threats that threaten the UK and our Allies. "The UK's commitment to NATO is unquestionable, as is the Alliance's contribution to keeping the UK safe and secure, but we must all step up to protect the Euro-Atlantic area for generations to come.' Defence Secretary John Healey said: 'The Strategic Defence Review confirmed we face new nuclear risks, with other states increasing, modernising and diversifying their nuclear arsenals. And it recommended a new UK role in our collective defence and deterrence through a NATO-first approach. 'This commitment is an embodiment of NATO first, strengthening the alliance while at the same time using defence as an engine for growth to create jobs across the UK.' NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said: 'The UK has declared its nuclear deterrent to NATO for many decades, and I strongly welcome today's announcement that the UK will now also join NATO's nuclear mission and procure the F-35A. This is yet another robust British contribution to NATO'. The National Security Strategy yesterday(TUES) laid bare the threats facing this country in a more dangerous world. Warning of hostile states acting within the UK, Mr Starmer said the country is in a period of "radical uncertainty". He has pledged to spend 5% of GDP on national security within a decade - a move the strategy says will draw together civilian and military priorities "in a way not seen since 1945". The document said: "The years ahead will test the United Kingdom... The direction it takes – and the decisions we take – will reverberate through the decades. We will need agility and courage to succeed, but we should be optimistic. We remain a resolute country, rich in history, values and in our capabilities. "But most of all, there is the determination of the British people themselves. After all, we do not need to look too far into our history for an example of a whole-of-society effort, motivated by a collective will to keep each other safe. We can mobilise that spirit again and use it both for our national security and the rebuilding of our country." The wide-ranging dossier said AI, social media and attacks on key infrastructure pose growing threats in the coming years. It warned arms control measures had failed to keep up with the spread of nuclear weapons - highlighted by alarm over Iran's nuclear weapons programme. The UK is "directly threatened" by hostile activities including assassination, intimidation, espionage, sabotage, cyber attacks and other forms of democratic interference, it added. Critical national infrastructure such as undersea cables, energy pipelines, transportation and logistics hubs are also a target. "It may become more difficult to identify hostile state activity as they make use of terrorist and criminal groups as their proxies," the report stated. Referencing North Korea's support for Russian forces in Ukraine, the strategy said hostile nations are more willing to work together. "As our adversaries and competitors engage in further military modernisation, issues like technology transfer and sanctions enforcement are going to become increasingly important," the strategy states. Speaking in the Commons, Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden said the Government needs to be "clear-eyed and hard-edged". Mr McFadden said ministers would work on protecting security at home by bolstering borders and making the UK "more resilient to future threats". He said more would need to be done with international allies to defend collective security - especially in the UK's relations with major powers like China. The strategy warned that "instances of China's espionage, interference in our democracy and the undermining of our economic security have increased in recent years". Mr McFadden also set out the UK's priority to rebuild its defence industries and build "advantages in new frontier technologies" like AI. "All of this will make us a stronger and more resilient country," he added.
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Starmer: No tax rises on working people to reach 5% defence spending pledge
The Prime Minister is meeting leaders of other Nato member countries in The Hague, where they are expected to formally agree the target, made up of 3.5% on 'core defence' and another 1.5% on 'resilience and security'. He rejected that tax rises would be needed to pay for higher defence spending. 'Every time we've set out our defence spending commitments, so when we went to 2.5% in 2027/28, we set out precisely how we would pay for it, that didn't involve tax rises. 'Clearly we've got commitments in our manifesto about not making tax rises on working people and we will stick to our manifesto commitments,' the Prime Minister told reporters in the Netherlands. He said the current commitment to get defence spending up to 2.5% of GDP by 2027/8 was not coming at the expense of welfare, but rather from cuts to overseas development aid. 'So, it's a misdescription to suggest that the defence spending commitment we've made is at the expense of money on welfare.' Donald Trump is among the world leaders at the summit, and told reporters on the way to the Netherlands that it would depend 'on your definition' when asked if he would commit to Nato's Article 5, which requires members to defend each other from attack. At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, Sir Keir underscored that national security is the 'first duty' of Government. His trip comes as the Government publishes its national security strategy, setting out plans to make the UK 'more resilient to future threats'. Downing Street has described the 5% goal as 'a projected target' that allies will review in 2029 when Nato carries out its next capability assessment. It is a significant jump from the current 2% Nato target, and from the UK Government's aim of spending 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence from 2027 and 3% at some point after the next election. But the figure is in line with the demands of US President Donald Trump, who has called for Nato allies to shoulder more of the burden of European defence. The Government expects to spend 1.5% of GDP on resilience and security by 2027. The details of what counts towards that target are due to be set out during this week's summit, but it is likely to include spending on energy and border security as well as intelligence agencies. But increasing core defence spending to 3.5% will not happen until 2035, with at least two elections likely to take place before then. The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that an increase in core defence spending from 2.6% to 3.5% would cost around £30 billion more a year. It noted however that the plans concern spending far in the future – due in 10 years' time – and therefore may not affect the Government's spending review or autumn budget decisions, but prompt the chancellor to revise plans at the 2027 spending review. Spending 3.5% of national income on defence is 'certainly not unprecedented' but much more is now spent on health than in the past, IFS researcher Bee Boileau noted. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said the Government had not been clear enough about how it would reach the core defence spending goal, claiming ministers had only offered 'smoke and mirrors'. She added: 'So, when will he actually deliver a plan to get to 2%, and why won't he heed our calls to hit 3% by the end of this Parliament, which would be vital, and a vital stepping stone on the way to that higher defence spending that he is seeking.' The Nato gathering comes amid the backdrop of escalating Middle East tensions and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Sir Keir has urged Israel and Iran to get back to the fragile ceasefire brokered by Donald Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the summit, but not take part in the main discussions of the North Atlantic Council. Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte described the move to spend more on defence as a 'quantum leap' that would make the organisation 'a stronger, a fairer and a more lethal alliance'. But it was reported on Sunday that Spain had reached a deal that would see it exempted from the 5% target. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Spain would be able to keep its commitments to the 32-nation military alliance by spending 2.1% of GDP on defence needs.
