Major suppliers to Jaguar Land Rover have called on the government to help Britain's automotive manufacturers pivot towards aerospace and defence work, cautioning that large-scale car production in the UK is set for a long period of decline.

In an open letter addressed to the prime minister, the chancellor and West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker, industry figures said the UK's automotive supply chain was "not in decline" but rather "in the wrong market". The letter arrives nearly two weeks after JLR confirmed it would cut 4,000 jobs.

Responding to the letter, the Treasury said it understood the uncertainty facing workers and was already backing the automotive sector through grants, reduced energy costs and support for electric vehicle production.

JLR is headquartered in Coventry and runs plants in Solihull, Wolverhampton and Halewood. The letter's signatories described the recent job losses as "the first visible crack" in a supply chain that underpins roughly 183,000 manufacturing jobs across the UK.

Among those backing the letter are Coventry firm Evtec, Solihull-based Artifex, and the Confederation of British Metal Forming. They pointed to soaring energy bills, mounting competition from overseas rivals, and carmakers increasingly sourcing parts abroad as pressures squeezing the sector.

Evtec chairman David Roberts said manufacturers believed the UK faced a "decade of decline" in high-volume vehicle production. Speaking on BBC Politics Midlands, he said the industry wanted to act now rather than wait for that decline to take hold, describing a significant opportunity to redirect existing skills, factories and investment towards Britain's growing aerospace and defence industries.

The letter argued that automotive suppliers already hold much of the expertise needed to serve aircraft, defence equipment and military vehicle manufacturing, but said companies would need support to make that leap. "The capacity exists. The people exist. What is missing is the bridge," it stated.

Manufacturers are asking for cheaper industrial energy, assistance in qualifying for aerospace and defence contracts, and a dedicated West Midlands scheme to speed up the transition. The letter was signed by executives from businesses employing more than 8,600 people directly, plus the Confederation of British Metal Forming, which represents about 75,000 workers nationally.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders noted that Chinese-owned brands made up around 15% of new UK car registrations in 2025 and 2026, with suppliers arguing foreign competitors enjoy cheaper energy, greater automation and, in some cases, state subsidies.

A Treasury spokesperson said Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds had already met JLR and union representatives after the job cuts were announced, highlighting the £2.5bn DRIVE35 programme supporting electric vehicle manufacturing and pledging further help to cut industrial electricity costs.

Source: BBC

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