Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is set to have a cosy chat with the bosses of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and the Unite union, presumably over tea and biscuits, to discuss the looming job cuts at the car maker. JLR has confirmed it's opening a voluntary redundancy programme, a year after a cyber attack that halted production for over a month - because apparently, one crisis at a time is too much to ask.

The company didn't specify numbers, but the Times whispers that as many as 4,000 jobs could go, thanks to tariffs and a dip in sales. Reynolds told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that the meeting early next week will focus on ways to "mitigate any job losses," but he's firmly ruled out a bailout - because who needs state support when you can just streamline your way to glory?

Asked about the cuts, which are believed to mainly hit white-collar workers, Reynolds said: "A company the size of JLR, which is a huge British success story, at various times in its business cycle, the number of, directly, people it employs will change. If this is about making sure over time that the workforce is right to make the business as competitive as possible, that's the conversation we need to have." He added there would be no support "if it's to bail people out," but left the door ajar for "long-term investment in the future" - because vague promises are always in fashion.

The cuts come as Chancellor John Healey prepares to deliver a speech in the Midlands on Monday promising to boost economic growth by tweaking how the government values infrastructure investments. JLR, based in Coventry, might appreciate that, but probably not as much as keeping its workers.

JLR hasn't confirmed the scale of the job cuts but said they'd "simplify" the business and "improve efficiency and build greater resilience." A spokesperson said: "Today, we informed our colleagues, and trade union partners that JLR is opening a voluntary redundancy programme offering salaried and management team members the opportunity to leave the business." They didn't rule out compulsory redundancies later - because voluntary is just the polite gateway drug.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham warned of a "perfect storm" over the automotive industry, saying, "Death by a thousand cuts has been going on under the nose of successive governments." She mentioned "intensive" weekend discussions about mitigating job losses, which sounds like a lot of talking and not much doing.

Reynolds also addressed the UK's electric vehicle sales targets, which require manufacturers to sell a rising percentage of zero-emission cars each year, reaching 80% by 2030. He claimed he'd already given the industry more flexibility and that a further consultation is open - because nothing says urgency like another consultation. "It's not where it needs to be and that's why we're willing to change the regulation to work with where consumer demand is and the industry," he said, presumably while adjusting his tie.

JLR employs about 30,000 people in the UK and roughly 10,000 overseas. In July, it said fewer than 300 would leave under earlier cost-saving plans - small potatoes compared to the current rumble. The cyber attack in September 2025 shut down all manufacturing for several weeks, leading to a 27% drop in production, and the whole shebang cost an estimated £1.9bn. In June, JLR announced plans to cut about £1.7bn in costs over the coming years, targeting materials, warranty, and fixed costs - because who needs spare parts when you can just not make cars?