Business leaders across Yorkshire are urging the UK Government to prioritise rail investment in the region, backing a strategic review led by Lord David Blunkett that outlines a £20 billion economic opportunity.

An open letter from leading organisations—including Magtec, Westfield Health, Virgin Media O2, the University of Bradford, Yorkshire Building Society, and multiple regional Chambers of Commerce—calls for the Chancellor to adopt proposals set out in “Yorkshire’s Plan for Rail.” The plan was commissioned by the mayors of West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and York and North Yorkshire under the White Rose Agreement, representing a population of 4.6 million and over 190,000 businesses.

The review outlines a ten-year vision to enhance regional connectivity through the development of new stations, electrification, increased capacity, and improved integration with national routes. Forecasts suggest the programme could unlock 83,000 new jobs, support the delivery of 210,000 homes, and contribute significantly to regional GDP.

Business groups argue that the region has faced chronic underinvestment in transport infrastructure and claim that reliable, frequent rail services are vital for attracting talent, supporting supply chains, and driving inward investment. Companies with significant operations in Leeds, Sheffield, and surrounding areas highlight the economic risk of continued delays to rail upgrades, warning that current services limit labour mobility, restrict collaboration, and undermine sustainability goals.

The proposed £14.6 billion investment has also gained backing from local enterprise partnerships and business advisory boards, who see enhanced rail infrastructure as critical to long-term economic competitiveness and workforce development.

Business leaders across sectors agree: improving Yorkshire’s rail system is not just about transport, it’s an economic imperative. They are now waiting for the upcoming Spending Review to signal whether Westminster will meet the region’s ambitions.

Stagecoach Yorkshire is expanding its workforce across Chesterfield and the broader region as the UK grapples with a rising unemployment rate and growing economic inactivity.

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show unemployment for those aged 16 to 64 reached 4.5% between January and March, while 21.4% of working-age adults were considered economically inactive. Against this backdrop, Stagecoach, one of the area’s largest transport employers, is actively recruiting drivers, engineers, and support staff.

The operator is offering roles with structured training and apprenticeships, aiming to attract both experienced professionals and those new to the sector. Positions come with benefits including competitive pay, life assurance, retail discounts, and free bus travel.

This recruitment drive reflects Stagecoach’s continued growth in regional transport services, positioning the company as a stable employer at a time when many businesses face staffing uncertainty.

Collingwood Engineering, a precision engineering business based in Barton-upon-Humber, has expanded its production capacity by acquiring two advanced CNC machines. The investment, backed by support from North Lincolnshire Council’s business support team, is expected to increase operational efficiency and precision.

The upgrade positions the company to meet growing demand and take on more complex machining contracts, while also enabling local job creation. The investment was made possible through funding provided by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The council’s support services have helped the firm secure financial assistance and navigate the funding process, underlining ongoing efforts to strengthen the local business base and promote industrial growth in the region.

Vehicle retail group JCT600 is increasing headcount at its Bradford operations as part of a new aftersales partnership with Audi.

The firm has begun hiring Audi-accredited technicians, parts specialists, and service hosts at its Sticker Lane site. This follows the closure of Audi’s previous dealership in the city, with JCT600 now providing authorised repair services to maintain local brand coverage.

The Bradford facility already services multiple marques including BMW, MINI, Maserati, and Lotus. The new roles will bring the site’s staffing above 60, contributing to JCT600’s group-wide workforce of over 2,200 across 50 UK dealerships and workshops. More than 400 of those roles are based in Bradford, where the company’s head office is located.

JCT600 operates across 19 vehicle brands and is actively recruiting for various roles across sales, service, and technical departments to support its dealership network. The expansion reflects growing aftersales demand and ongoing consolidation within the UK dealer landscape.

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The UK Government’s Strategic Defence Review is set to trigger a multibillion-pound wave of investment across the country’s defence sector, with a strong emphasis on industrial capacity, digital modernisation and workforce development.

At the core of the plan is the expansion of the UK’s submarine fleet, with a commitment to build 12 new attack submarines. This is expected to significantly bolster the country’s submarine-building capabilities and sustain 30,000 specialist jobs into the next decade. The move aligns with the government’s broader commitment to its warhead programme, which has already received £15 billion in funding and will see further modernisation at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston.

The review outlines a national shift toward “warfighting readiness,” including expanded stockpiles of arms and critical equipment. Over the next ten years, 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate roles will be created to meet long-term workforce demands in engineering, manufacturing and defence technology.

Cyber operations are set to undergo a significant transformation with the establishment of a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command, designed to position the UK at the forefront of digital warfare. In parallel, over £1 billion will be invested in a new Digital Targeting Web—an initiative intended to enhance battlefield decision-making, intelligence and targeting through AI and integrated systems, informed by recent lessons from Ukraine.

The government also plans to procure up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons and construct at least six new munitions and energetics factories to reinforce domestic production capacity. However, locations have not yet been disclosed.

Defence spending continues to play a key role in regional economies. In 2023/24, the Ministry of Defence spent £28.8 billion with UK industry. The South West and South East saw the highest allocations, with £6.9 billion and £7.1 billion respectively. The South West led in per-capita terms, with £1,190 per person and 1,550 defence jobs per 100,000 residents. The region is home to major employers such as Babcock International, which operates from over 60 sites including Devonport and Filton, and Rolls-Royce’s Bristol site, where engines are built for the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 aircraft.

The review marks the first time the government has published a complete outline of its long-term defence investment strategy, signalling sustained demand for skilled talent, manufacturing capacity, and digital innovation across the sector.

MYGroup has partnered with the University of Leeds on a new initiative to address the increasing volume of high-visibility personal protective equipment (PPE) waste in the UK. The partnership, backed by Innovate UK through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), aims to establish a scalable fibre-to-fibre recycling process that can convert decommissioned PPE into new raw materials for textile production.

Currently, less than 1% of garments globally are recycled back into new textiles, and an estimated 90% of used PPE, uniforms, and workwear end up in landfills. This project aims to demonstrate the commercial and technical feasibility of producing new yarns and threads from end-of-life PPE, thereby supporting a closed-loop system for the sector.

MYGroup, a specialist in waste management and recycling based in Yorkshire, already processes five tonnes of end-of-life PPE annually and collaborates with several manufacturers and retailers. Through this collaboration, it hopes to help its clients meet growing extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations and move towards more sustainable supply chains.

The University of Leeds, home to the Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITaC), will contribute research expertise to accelerate development and industrial application of the recycling method. The project is also expected to stimulate innovation and green manufacturing in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Business confidence in Yorkshire rose sharply in May, with more firms planning to expand their workforce and invest in growth, according to Lloyds Bank’s latest Business Barometer.

Confidence among Yorkshire businesses climbed by 18 points to 52%, significantly higher than the national average. Notably, 54% of regional firms now plan to increase staff over the coming year, up 35 points from April, signaling renewed optimism across the local economy.

The report also highlighted where businesses are prioritising growth. Nearly half of the surveyed firms in Yorkshire intend to invest in staff training, while 33% are eyeing entry into new markets or adopting new technology, both key indicators of strategic scaling and operational improvement.

At a national level, UK business confidence rose to 50%, the highest recorded since August 2024. Economic optimism jumped by 16 points to 44%, while firms’ confidence in their trading prospects also increased to 56%.

Sector performance was uneven. Construction and services reported the strongest sentiment, 56% and 54% respectively, while retail confidence declined to 40%, its lowest level since January. Manufacturing also edged up, though modestly, to 40%.

The positive regional results come amid mixed signals globally. While the IMF flagged potential drag from US tariffs, it upgraded the UK’s 2025 economic forecast, noting signs of a broader recovery.