This week the Labour Government announced that it is taking decisive action to support Jaguar Land Rover and it’s supply chain with a £1.5 billion loan guarantee to give certainty to business following the recent cyber-attack. It’s something I have campaigned for alongside my fellow city-region MPs.

The loan will protect jobs in Merseyside, the West Midlands and across the UK and will be paid back by JLR over the next five years. It’s an important step as many small businesses are already on the brink of running out of money as the production shutdown continues.

I have been particularly concerned about supply chain companies since we were first told about the hack as many are reliant on JLR’s business for their survival. This is great news and we must now ensure that this money is passed down beyond the Tier 1 companies to the Tier 2 and 3 businesses that otherwise may end up having to close if production doesn’t restart soon. You can hear more about the announcement above.