Latest news with #MarkHarper
The National
3 days ago
- Business
- The National
80 jobs lost as Scots firm appoints liquidators after 90 years of trading
Andrew Wright Windows Ltd and Andrew Wright Glass Ltd, headquartered in Irvine and established in 1937, have announced that it has entered into liquidation. A total of 83 employees have been made redundant, 65 who worked at Andrew Wright Windows Limited and 18 at Andrew Wright Glass Limited. The firm provided windows and doors for social housing, local authorities, domestic and commercial construction, and said it had seen a 'significant' slowdown in the construction industry in 2023/24, which in turn had a detrimental impact on its sales. READ MORE: Labour's Homelessness Minister 'evicted tenants and hiked rent to £4k a month' Andrew Wright Windows said it had seen its turnover decline by approximately 35% due to the slowdown in sales, while Andrew Wright Glass saw a reduction of 60%. Mark Harper and Paul Dounis from Opus Restructuring & Insolvency were appointed joint provisional liquidators at the firm on Wednesday. They said both companies had experienced 'significant cashflow challenges' among other factors such as contract tendering, rising cost of raw materials and increasing staff costs which led to liquidators being appointed. Despite 'exhaustive efforts', the directors were said to be left with 'no option' but to cease trading. Mark Bradford and James Fraser, the company's directors, said: 'This is a profoundly sad moment for all at Andrew Wright. 'Over two years, we have done everything we could to turn the business around, but the challenges have proved insurmountable. 'We are truly sorry for the impact the closure will have on our employees, customers, and the wider community. 'We will work now with Opus to support our employees and stakeholders through the transition.' Harper, partner of Opus Restructuring & Insolvency and joint provisional liquidator, said the directors 'fought hard' to save the two long-standing businesses. He said: 'The collapse of Andrew Wright Windows Limited and Andrew Wright Glass Limited is another indicator of the challenges and economic headwinds currently facing the Scottish construction sector. 'The directors fought hard to save these long-standing businesses, but the construction industry has experienced several challenges over recent years, and this impacts heavily throughout the supply chain, putting businesses under increased pressure. 'Our priority is to assist those members of staff who have been made redundant, providing them with the information and support they need to claim their statutory entitlements from the Redundancy Payments Office, as well as to support the owners, for whom this is also an extremely difficult time.'
The National
4 days ago
- Business
- The National
80 jobs lost as Scots firm appoints liquidators after 90 years trading
Andrew Wright Windows Ltd and Andrew Wright Glass Ltd, headquartered in Irvine and established in 1937, have announced that it has entered into liquidation. A total of 83 employees have been made redundant, 65 who worked at Andrew Wright Windows Limited and 18 at Andrew Wright Glass Limited. The firm provided windows and doors for social housing, local authorities, domestic and commercial construction, and said it had seen a 'significant' slowdown in the construction industry in 2023/24, which in turn had a detrimental impact on its sales. READ MORE: Labour's Homelessness Minister 'evicted tenants and hiked rent to £4k a month' Andrew Wright Windows said it had seen its turnover decline by approximately 35% due to the slowdown in sales, while Andrew Wright Glass saw a reduction of 60%. Mark Harper and Paul Dounis from Opus Restructuring & Insolvency were appointed joint provisional liquidators at the firm on Wednesday. They said both companies had experienced 'significant cashflow challenges' among other factors such as contract tendering, rising cost of raw materials and increasing staff costs which led to liquidators being appointed. Despite 'exhaustive efforts', the directors were said to be left with 'no option' but to cease trading. Mark Bradford and James Fraser, the company's directors, said: 'This is a profoundly sad moment for all at Andrew Wright. 'Over two years, we have done everything we could to turn the business around, but the challenges have proved insurmountable. 'We are truly sorry for the impact the closure will have on our employees, customers, and the wider community. 'We will work now with Opus to support our employees and stakeholders through the transition.' Harper, partner of Opus Restructuring & Insolvency and joint provisional liquidator, said the directors 'fought hard' to save the two long-standing businesses. He said: 'The collapse of Andrew Wright Windows Limited and Andrew Wright Glass Limited is another indicator of the challenges and economic headwinds currently facing the Scottish construction sector. 'The directors fought hard to save these long-standing businesses, but the construction industry has experienced several challenges over recent years, and this impacts heavily throughout the supply chain, putting businesses under increased pressure. 'Our priority is to assist those members of staff who have been made redundant, providing them with the information and support they need to claim their statutory entitlements from the Redundancy Payments Office, as well as to support the owners, for whom this is also an extremely difficult time.'
STV News
4 days ago
- Business
- STV News
More than 80 jobs lost as Scots firm appoints liquidators
More than 80 jobs have been lost at a North Ayrshire windows and doors firm that began trading nearly 90 years ago. Andrew Wright Windows Ltd and Andrew Wright Glass Ltd, based in Irvine, were acquired by the current directors from the original founders in August 2023. The firm, which provides windows and doors for social housing, local authorities, domestic and commercial construction, and private and residential customers, first began trading in 1937. In total, 83 employees have been made redundant, 65 of whom worked at Andrew Wright Windows Limited and 18 at Andrew Wright Glass Limited. Mark Harper and Paul Dounis from Opus Restructuring & Insolvency were appointed joint provisional liquidators at the firm on Wednesday. A 'significant' slowdown in the construction industry in 2023/24 had a detrimental impact on sales, reducing turnover by approximately 35% for Andrew Wright Windows and 60% for Andrew Wright Glass. The liquidators said both companies experienced 'significant cashflow challenges' among other factors such as contract tendering, rising cost of raw materials and increasing staff costs. Despite 'exhaustive efforts', the directors were said to be left with 'no option' but to cease trading. Mark Bradford and James Fraser, the company's directors, said: 'This is a profoundly sad moment for all at Andrew Wright. 'Over two years, we have done everything we could to turn the business around, but the challenges have proved insurmountable. 'We are truly sorry for the impact the closure will have on our employees, customers, and the wider community. 'We will work now with Opus to support our employees and stakeholders through the transition.' Mr Harper, partner of Opus Restructuring & Insolvency and joint provisional liquidator, said: 'The collapse of Andrew Wright Windows Limited and Andrew Wright Glass Limited is another indicator of the challenges and economic headwinds currently facing the Scottish construction sector. 'The directors fought hard to save these long-standing businesses, but the construction industry has experienced several challenges over recent years, and this impacts heavily throughout the supply chain, putting businesses under increased pressure. 'Our priority is to assist those members of staff who have been made redundant, providing them with the information and support they need to claim their statutory entitlements from the Redundancy Payments Office, as well as to support the owners, for whom this is also an extremely difficult time.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
The former West MPs with new roles in the House of Lords
To MPs in the Commons it is known as "the other place".But being elevated to the House of Lords has provided a way back to the political fray for two former West Country Conservative Transport Secretary Mark Harper and ex-Shadow Culture Secretary Thangam Debbonaire were awarded life peerages following their respective defeats at last year's general said: "I'm hoping to be working hard. I'm going to be a working peer, so I shall be here as much as I can when the House is sitting and I'll get stuck in." The new role marks a return to politics for Harper, who lost his Forest of Dean constituency in Gloucestershire by less than 300 votes in July added that in his new position he hoped to contribute to internal Conservative party debates around how to be competitive again and "hopefully win the next general election".Labour's Debbonaire, defeated by the Green Party in Bristol Central, expressed a similar desire to immerse herself in her new role, calling it an "incredible privilege"."It wasn't a hard decision, primarily because I went into politics because I believe in public service, like most politicians of all parties," she said. "It was a new way to serve the public, which is your first and primary duty." She added: "Bringing my skills to work on a daily basis is really, I think, of benefit to my service to the public and the country."Critics have pointed to Debbonaire's previous criticism of the honours system and Labour's former committal to abolishing the House of Debbonaire said that a second chamber was necessary, and the government was following through on commitments to remove hereditary and Debbonaire join another familiar face who has recently taken his seat in the chamber, Bristol's former Mayor, Marvin known as Lord Rees of Easton, the new Labour peer made his maiden speech on 3 are all back in the political fray, spending time in the House debating and voting, but also having other roles elsewhere.
Metro
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Metro
Uber says it's ready to put robotaxis on UK roads by 2027
Uber says it is ready to bring us driverless taxis as soon as they get the green light. The UK government originally planned to let autonomous vehicles loose on the roads by 2026, but has now pushed back the date by a year. It means that by 2027, getting a cab could soon be very different: much less chatty, for example, unless the speakers are wired up to Grok (which might actually happen in a Tesla, to be fair). Andrew Macdonald, senior vice president of mobility at Uber, told the BBC: We're ready to launch robotaxis in the UK as soon as the regulatory environment is ready for us.' Uber already operates driverless taxis in the US, China, the UAE and Singapore, so this is not just some futuristic 'one day'. It won't just be a surprise when one shows up on the kerb. Users will see the robotaxi appear as an option when they try to hail a ride, so getting one is opt-in. This is important, because many users are still uncomfortable with the idea of a self-driving car, fearing that it could malfunction, or simply preferring the human touch. Would you hail a driverless Uber? Unfortunately for customers, although there is no driver to pay,for the moment the fare is still the same. Their typical schedule is 20 hours a day, every day of the week, as they only need to stop for charging and maintenance. Ubers said they work with 18 automated car tech companies, which include Wayve. Self-driving vehicles had been set to be on roads by 2026, with the Automated Vehicles Act becoming law. But the Department of Transport has now said they will implement the legislation in the second half of 2027. The government has said road safety 'is at the heart of the legislation, with automated vehicles expected to improve road safety by reducing human error'. But there are legal issues to iron out, including who is responsible if a self-driving car causes an accident. While they may be safer, they are far from foolproof: last week, Waymo, an American ride-hailing company owned by Google's Alphabet, announced it had recalled over 1,000 of its driverless cars after more than two dozen minor crashes. More Trending The recall notice says their software 'may cause the vehicles to collide with certain roadway barriers, such as chains and gates', though no injuries had so far been reported. Once the UK has driveless cars on the roads, the government believes it could 'unlock opportunities for those who currently can't drive', as well as create 38,000 more skilled jobs by 2035. Mark Harper, then Transport Secretary, said last year: 'Britain stands at the threshold of an automotive revolution and this new law is a milestone moment for our self-driving industry, which has the potential to change the way we travel forever.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: 'Uber has innovated so hard… they invented a bus' MORE: Robot 'goes berserk' and starts flailing arms and legs during demo MORE: Uber makes major change to how customers pay for rides in UK first
