BUSINESS SECRETARY RULES OUT BAILOUT AS JAGUAR LAND ROVER PLANS JOB CUTS

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has ruled out government financial support for Jaguar Land Rover as the UK's largest car manufacturer prepares to announce a voluntary redundancy programme. Reynolds told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that whilst the government would seek to "mitigate any job losses", it would not provide a bailout. He confirmed he has spoken to JLR chief executive PB Balaji and will meet the company's leadership team early the following week.

Reports indicate the redundancy programme could affect as many as 4,000 jobs, spread over two years, though JLR has not confirmed exact figures. The company stated the moves would "simplify" the business and "improve efficiency" whilst targeting approximately £1.7 billion in savings over two years. JLR directly employs around 30,000 to 34,000 people across UK sites, including Solihull in the West Midlands and Halewood in Merseyside, and supports a further 120,000 British jobs through its supply chain. The redundancy programme targets salaried and management team members. The job cuts follow a cyberattack that forced production to halt for more than a month in 2025, and come amid falling sales and the impact of US tariffs on the carmaker's North American market, which represents 29 per cent of sales.

Reynolds said the company must remain "competitive as possible" and opened the door to "long-term investment in the future" alongside industry, distinguishing this from a bailout. The Liberal Democrats called the cuts "devastating" and urged Chancellor John Healey to offer support for affected workers during a speech on economic growth planned for Monday in the Midlands, where JLR is based.