Stoke's Potters Are Drowning in Costs Crippling UK Manufacturing.

The article focuses on the challenges facing Stoke-on-Trent’s historic ceramics industry amid rising energy costs and global competition. Once a global leader in pottery, the city’s firms, including the 217-year-old Denby, have struggled with soaring energy prices linked to the Iran war and increased labor costs under the Labour government, leading to closures and job cuts. Industry representatives and local workers express concern that government policies, particularly on energy and net-zero targets, inadequately support this energy-intensive sector, which spends about 70% of its revenue on energy. Political parties like Reform UK are leveraging the industry’s decline in their campaigns, while local leaders seek recognition to preserve Stoke’s cultural heritage. Some companies, such as Moorcroft, are adapting by targeting new markets and product lines to sustain the industry’s future. [Extracted from the article]