A single cyber attack at JLR slowed the entire UK economy, revealing how vital – and how vulnerable – Britain’s car industry is
The UK woke up to a rather depressing figure this week. Economic growth from July to September came in at 0.1 per cent. The analysts thought we would hit 0.2 per cent, so already things looked a little feeble. The headlines called it a blow for the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves. The markets shrugged. Most of the public sighed into their morning tea.
So where does a motoring journalist fit into a story about the wider economy? Right in the middle of it. Because hidden inside the Office for National Statistics report was a startling detail. A single event inside the British car industry dragged national growth down.
Yes, really. A cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover triggered a five week shutdown that slashed UK car production by 28.6 per cent in September. Nearly a third of output vanished. The ONS actually highlighted it as a major reason for the slowdown. An entire nation took a hit because a manufacturer had to reboot its digital systems from the ground up.
Now imagine what happens if you take those companies away entirely. No factories. No suppliers. No logistics. No technology hubs. No export revenue. The whole idea becomes absurd, yet this government and the previous one keep adding pressure on the automotive sector as if it is some optional hobby.
We have the ZEV Mandate for example. It demands that 28 per cent of all new car sales in 2025 must be fully electric. The reality so far this year looks closer to 23 per cent. Manufacturers are expected to deliver the targets, but consumers are not buying EVs at the required pace. The charging infrastructure trails behind demand. Range anxiety remains a daily topic. Drivers simply do not buy cars that do not slot into their lives.
You cannot feed the industry unrealistic targets, fail to support the infrastructure and then act surprised when the market falters.
The irony grows louder when you look at the actual economic value of the automotive sector. The UK industry contributes more than £70 billion to the economy every year. It supports more than 780,000 jobs. Manufacturing, engineering, design, logistics, sales, dealerships, restorers, classic specialists and thousands of small businesses revolve around cars. Take it away and you do not lose a few nice toys. You lose a national powerhouse.
Yet politicians continue to treat motorists and manufacturers as easy targets. The talk of taxing classic cars earlier this year was a perfect example. A few ministers appeared to think they could squeeze a bit more road tax out of them. The whole point flew straight over their heads. Classic cars produce a massive amount of economic activity for a very small amount of road use. Any attempt to tax them heavily would collapse an entire subculture, a restoration industry and a network of passionate specialists.
This is the pattern. Policies that claim to help the environment or push electrification end up stifling innovation. The government pushes from one side and strangles from the other. Then everyone wonders why growth looks anaemic.
The story of the JLR shutdown is a sharp warning. A single disruption inside the UK automotive sector slowed national economic performance. The industry carries that much weight. The wake up call sits right in front of the politicians. Whether anyone in Westminster actually hears it remains to be seen.
For the rest of us, the message is simple. Support the automotive sector. Defend car culture. Demand realistic policy. Understand the actual value that cars bring to the country. The future of British motoring hangs in the balance, and the economy goes with it.
Tell me what you think. Does Westminster understand the importance of the car industry, or is it just another blind spot in a long list of them? Comments are open.
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