Britain will back Jaguar Land Rover with a £1.5 billion loan guarantee to shore up its supply chain after the luxury carmaker’s production was halted by a cyberattack. The guarantee, underpinned by UK Export Finance, aims to prevent supplier collapse.
Jaguar Land Rover’s production shutdown has now stretched nearly a month. The disruption stems from a severe cyber-attack that crippled its IT systems, halting operations across its factories and putting its suppliers under existential pressure.
Some smaller suppliers have warned they have as little as a week’s cash left before insolvency. In the regions around Birmingham and Liverpool, where JLR’s factories are key employers, firms are cutting hours and making redundancies.
Business Minister Peter Kyle framed the attack as “not only an assault on an iconic British brand, but on our world-leading automotive sector,” adding that the guarantee is intended to “support the supply chain and protect skilled jobs.”
The loan guarantee will be privately financed and guaranteed by UK Export Finance. It is designed to unlock £1.5 billion in support for parts makers, logistics firms and other suppliers tied to JLR.
JLR is owned by India’s Tata Motors, and the company’s three UK factories together produce about 1,000 cars daily in normal times. The knock-on effect of the shutdown is significant in terms of jobs, exports, and industrial confidence.
The cyberattack itself began on 31 August, and by early September JLR had shut down many parts of its IT infrastructure. Though some systems have now been restored (allowing supplier payments and parts distribution), full production remains paused.
Government support is not limited to this guarantee; ministers have been exploring additional measures, including expedited payments to suppliers, tax deferrals, or direct purchase of components to keep cash flowing.
The scale of the guarantee signals how serious the government considers the risk not just to JLR, but to the UK’s broader industrial base, this is more than a carmaker rescue, it’s a test of supply chain resilience in an era of mounting cyber threats.
Ukraine is ready to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow also halts strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zel...
Yemen's Houthis renewed warning to airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports, say...
The 25th World Petroleum Council (WPC) Energy Congress opened in Riyadh on Sunday (11 October), running from 11 to 15 October under the theme &ldqu...
The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority. The airport remains closed until further notice.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed surprise after Donald Trump mediated the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement in 2025, the U.S. President said at a rally in New York state on Friday.
The United Nations has condemned a sharp rise in attacks on civilians in Ukraine, reporting that more than 100 people were killed and at least 429 injured in a single week as Russian strikes hit residential areas, passenger buses and critical infrastructure.
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday (9 October) escalating tensions with European allies and potentially targeting companies that provide services to the tribunal. The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Turkic states are assessing the feasibility of passport-free travel between countries using national ID cards, Kürşad Zorlu, the Deputy Chairman of Türkiye’s ruling AK Party said on Saturday.
Ukraine is ready to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow also halts strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
Air France has reportedly informed its pilots and cabin crew of new Israeli restrictions preventing employees holding certain nationalities, including dual nationals, from operating flights to Israel, according to an investigation published by French outlet Mediapart on Saturday.
Nepali authorities urged villagers on Sunday (11 October) to move to safer places after a flood in a river in the central part of the country swept away several houses and infrastructure, but there were no reports of any casualties.
France’s internal police watchdog (IGPN) is investigating 24 cases linked to student protests across the country, including an incident in which a 14-year-old boy suffered a broken jaw and shattered teeth after allegedly being struck by a police projectile.
Pope Leo XIV renewed his condemnation of the death penalty on Saturday (10 October), saying it violated the sanctity of human life and denied people the chance of redemption, days after the Pentagon announced plans to livestream a U.S. military execution.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment