Ford Motor CompanyFord UK boss warns that rising energy, tax, business-rate and EV-mandate costs are squeezing its British operations.

The UK boss of Ford has warned Labour that it ignores rising energy, tax and regulatory costs "at our peril" amid fears of a fresh raid on businesses. Lisa Brankin said the car giant's British operations were already under heavy pressure, forcing the company to work "really hard to make sure that we keep what we've got". She pointed to recent increases to National Insurance contributions and business rates, high industrial electricity prices and the Government's electric vehicle targets as costs squeezing companies. Ford builds some 600,000 diesel engines per year at its Dagenham plant, just half of the historic site's capacity, and is separately investing £380m in an upgrade of its Halewood factory in Merseyside. As part of an effort to secure a £900m contract from the Ministry of Defence to replace the Army's fleet of Land Rovers, Ford has said Dagenham could supply engines for a militarised version of the Ranger, competing with JLR, General Motors, Babcock, Ineos and the start-up Fering. Ford is also lobbying the Government to relax the requirements of the zero emission vehicle mandate, which it argues are too far ahead of consumer demand.
Ford Motor CompanyFord UK boss warns that rising energy, tax, business-rate and EV-mandate costs are squeezing its British operations.
General Motors Company
Babcock International Group PLCJLR is cutting 4,000 jobs amid the same UK cost pressures highlighted by Ford's boss.