JLR suppliers call for shift to aerospace
Suppliers tell the government that Britain's manufacturing future lies beyond car production.
JLR suppliers urge move into aerospace
JLR suppliers say skills and factories could be redirected into aerospace and defence
Leading Jaguar Land Rover suppliers have called on the government to support automotive manufacturers in shifting into aerospace and defence, warning that large-scale car production in the UK is likely to face a long-term decline.
In an open letter to the prime minister, chancellor and West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, industry figures said Britain’s automotive supply chain was “not in decline” but “in the wrong market”.
The intervention comes almost two weeks after JLR announced plans to cut 4,000 jobs.
The Treasury said it understood the uncertainty affecting workers and was backing the automotive sector through grants, lower energy costs and investment in electric vehicle production.
JLR has its global headquarters in Coventry and plants in Solihull, Wolverhampton and Halewood.
Those who signed the letter said the redundancies were “the first visible crack” in a UK automotive supply chain supporting about 183,000 manufacturing jobs.
David Roberts said large-scale car production in the UK faced long-term decline
The group, which includes Coventry-based Evtec, Solihull-based Artifex and the Confederation of British Metal Forming, said suppliers were dealing with rising energy costs, stronger overseas competition and growing pressure from vehicle manufacturers sourcing components abroad.
David Roberts, chairman of Evtec, said manufacturers believed high-volume car production in the UK was entering a decade of decline.
Speaking on BBC Politics Midlands, he said: “We want to take action today rather than wait for that to happen.”
Roberts said there was a “very big opportunity” for manufacturers to move skills, factories and investment into the UK’s growing aerospace and defence sectors.
The letter said automotive suppliers already had many of the capabilities needed to support aircraft, defence equipment and military vehicles, but warned that firms needed help to complete the transition.
“The capacity exists. The people exist. What is missing is the bridge,” it said.
The open letter calls for support to help automotive firms enter aerospace and defence
The manufacturers asked for lower industrial energy costs, help for firms to qualify for aerospace and defence contracts, and a West Midlands programme to speed up the move into those sectors.
The letter was signed by executives representing businesses with more than 8,600 direct employees, along with the Confederation of British Metal Forming, which represents about 75,000 workers.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Chinese-owned brands made up about 15% of new car registrations in the UK in 2025 and 2026.
The suppliers said overseas rivals benefited from lower energy costs, higher automation and, in some cases, government subsidies.
A Treasury spokesperson said Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds had met JLR and trade union representatives after the redundancy announcement and highlighted government support for electric vehicle production through the £2.5bn DRIVE35 programme.
The government said manufacturers were also expected to benefit from measures to cut industrial electricity costs and encourage investment in the sector.