Corporate Welfare.

UK Govt to give £380m grant to Tata battery factory in Somerset.

The Govt isn't taking an equity stake in return, won't receive any dividends. It isn't a loan and isn't repayable.

Political parties demonize human recipients of welfare but hand free money to corporations.

April 11, 2026 - 09:48 UTC

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Imagine what impact that money could have had if they'd used it to give a house battery to 100,000 of the poorest citizens in the UK.
Years and years of lower bills.
But, you know, let's not make house batteries, let's give it as a gift to a company making cars for rich people.
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From one justification to another... 15 years ago it was electrification and now it's about hydrogen, but realization of these goals is always 5 to 10 years away.

eurometal.net/dutch-parliament-considers-e2-billion-support-for-tata-steel-nederland-decarbonization/
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Why on earth don't the government take shares/a stake? Private companies are heavily subsidised by UK tax payers. Then they sell their goods for excessive amounts.They benefit from the sweetener and the incredible profits. It's a mug's game
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That sounds like economic madness to me.
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But grants for working class people?

No where to be seen.
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Blue Labour like the tories are well used to transferring public money into private pockets.
Successive British government are crooks.
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Even worse it's a foreign company. Our own so-called "elite" do not invest in their own country in any meaningful way...
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But historically our "elite" were in fact foreign invaders (Normans) who basically exploited the local population. All of these ancient castles were not built to repel forces from outside the country. Rather they were built to assist in the exploitation of the locals...
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In another thread there are comments about larger heavier SUVs which are helping to destroy our roads and communities
No joined up thinking ?
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Remembered this info next time you are told how talented and hard working the entrepreneurs who run such companies are.
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They found 380m to give them huh. Sweet. Scotland is going to get an energy and water guzzling data centre and an ethylene plant. Aren't we blessed.
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So tired of this stuff and then the same people going on about how bad nationalised industries were….
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Stuff like this pisses me off so much. Same with the banks WE rescued. They should have been paying it back and some.
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By my calculations this now adds up to £1.38 BILLION the British taxpayers have given TATA corporation in the last 3-5 years when will they realise this multi billion pound company is raping our economy this will not help the workers it will go to the shareholders. . . remember Port Talbot
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That is insane. Tata is a massive global corporation with tentacles in everything. They're like Amazon. Worse in some ways...
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Outrageous. Why is Tata broke? £380m welfare dole out for the rich. Where are howls and cries of anger from Reform & the Toraidhes. I am sure social care sector could do with support. Or decent pay rise for Junior Drs.
#SaveOurNHS
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Disgraceful!
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Laughs in Canadian.

Canada does this regularly to bribe the big three American auto makers, and others. Half the time they just take the money and shutter the plant anyway. Or instead of batteries and EVs they decide Canada gets more big gas guzzling trucks and no new technology.
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Multinationals never happy about taxes or regulations but always on the lookout for state welfare. Tata Steel were also good at getting money out of the government which is presumably why the Tata family have billions in the bank.

www.nationalworld.com/travel/travel-news/air-india-plane-crash-who-owns-air-india-airline-history-tata-family-net-worth-5173861
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The Tata firms are worth billions but no Tata manager has become a billionaire. The Tatas pay their employees well---good healthcare & retirement benefits. They have not evaded any taxes as far as I know. My first job out of college was with the Tatas where I learned the basics of quality control.
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my state cant stop handing out money to have the big event only to never see any return and get a budget hole for it. only private businesses profit, most take the money out of state. corporations own bourbon st now bsky.app/profile/t0ussaint.bsky.social/post/3m34xm7pkts2d
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Well, investments to support a green transition is a positive thing

I guess the question is the check and balances that come with this grant

Is there any conditions agreed with unions? On hiring of wages? Or requiring Tata to match the investment, or keep all production lines on British soil?
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The problem is that if the private sector undertakes something of its own volition as a profit-making exercise, it is not the state's job to (help) fund it. If the govt is bothered about job creation it needs to abandon its self-imposed fiscal rules and reinstate the policy of full-employment.
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Socialism for the rich and corps
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Govt may not get anything. But negotiating MP’s definitely do.
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This was a Tory deal (Feb 2024.) The no strings attached bung coming from Badenoch, then Trade Secretary, and reported in the Guardian:
Tata confirmed in July that it would build its next so-called giga factory in the UK. The company secured about £500m in UK government subsidies to do so.
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I hope there are some conditions attached to that.
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The vague promise of 'jobs'.
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Detailed analysis of this “deal” @europeanpowell.bsky.social . “The Zone that…” A very informative read.
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And yet PFIs take a larger cut every time.
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