Business Secretary Peter Kyle has been heckled by a prominent backbench Labour MP after the government failed to provide any support for the dying British ceramics industry in the latest subsidy announcement. Gareth Snell – who has voiced concerns on behalf of ceramics for some time – asked Kyle: “How many job losses will it take? How many factory closures? How many brick kilns need to be mothballed before the government steps in to do something for the ceramics sector? Or is it the now the policy objective of this government to oversee the end of a domestic UK ceramics production?” Kyle went red as a tomato…
The “British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme” has overnight extended minor electricity bill subsidies to more firms. Leaving out ceramics almost entirely…
Ceramics have been some of the hardest-hit by energy costs at around £875 million a year on energy costs and up more than £330 million since 2020. According to one analysis ceramics firms spend roughly 70% of turnover on energy and a further 14% on taxes and levies…
The Business Secretary talked up his willingness to speak to businesses and “monthly meetings with officials.” At this point Snell heckled “We told you! We told you!” and after Kyle finished he yelled: “You’ve done nothing!” Guido hears Kyle’s Parliamentary Private Secretary had to be sent over to calm him down. Later a second Labour backbencher Adam Jogee joined in to attack Kyle for ceramics’ lack of subsidy. Trouble in paradise…
