Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Spending Review, announced on 11 June 2025, has been positioned as the blueprint for Britain’s “national renewal”—a long-awaited departure from austerity through a front-loaded £113 billion injection into capital spending. As CEO of Tratos Ltd, a UK-based cable manufacturing company that plays a vital role in our country’s infrastructure, I welcome the focus on critical sectors like healthcare, defence, energy, and transport. However, I urge policymakers to look deeper, to the infrastructure behind the infrastructure.
At Tratos, we produce the cables that energise hospitals, connect our railways, fortify our defence systems, and enable the transition to clean energy. These components are not headline-grabbing, but they are mission-critical. Without resilient and modern cable systems, there is no electrification, no digitalisation, and no net zero. As such, cables must be recognised not just as commodities but as strategic assets vital to national security and industrial productivity.
With UK-based manufacturing capabilities, a strong track record in mission-critical sectors, and a focus on innovation and safety, Tratos is uniquely positioned to be a strategic partner to the UK government and industry. Our company exemplifies the kind of sovereign, resilient supply chain that the UK will increasingly require in the coming years.
The recent Spending Review, while strategically timed to garner electoral support, represents a significant and authentic opportunity to rebalance the national economy through substantial capital investment directed outside of London. This initiative, if executed with careful foresight and prudent management, could genuinely address long-standing regional economic disparities and foster more equitable growth across the United Kingdom.
By reinforcing sovereign capabilities in areas like energy and defence, the Labour government is making a calculated bet on Britain’s ability to deliver tangible progress in politically volatile regions. To make this strategy succeed, the government must prioritise supply chain resilience at every level of delivery.
There will be an increased focus on resilient and sovereign supply chains, reinforcing Tratos’ UK-based manufacturing advantage. This is not just about economic policy; it is about national security, climate resilience, and strategic autonomy. As the government prepares to raise taxes to sustain public spending, it must also ensure that its industrial strategy supports those who are building the foundation of renewal from the ground up.
Tax rises must not undercut the very manufacturers tasked with delivering infrastructure and growth. If Labour wants to make the case for investment-led renewal, it must support companies that invest in jobs, apprenticeships, innovation, and regional reindustrialisation. At Tratos, we already do this. We are ready to do more, with the right policy environment.
This Spending Review must be remembered not only for where it spends, but how it builds. Will we import dependency, or invest in capability? Will we chase visibility, or secure resilience?
Let us ensure that this new chapter of national renewal is built on a foundation that is not just visible, but vital.