England for sale: British Government Fails to Protect our Industries Pt.1

For many workers across England, the story of Cadbury remains a bitter one.

Founded in Birmingham in 1824, Cadbury was more than a chocolate company. It was an English institution. Generations of workers built their livelihoods there. Communities grew around its factories. The company became part of England's industrial heritage. Then, in 2010, Cadbury was taken over by the American food giant Kraft. Workers were assured that jobs and facilities would be protected. Yet within months, the Somerdale factory near Bristol was closed and hundreds of jobs disappeared. The profits remained but the workers did not.

The Consequences of Foreign Corporate Takeovers

Unfortunately, Cadbury was not an isolated case. It was a warning.

Below is just a small example of major English companies now under overseas ownership.

For decades, successive British governments have treated English businesses as assets to be bought and sold rather than strategic industries that support workers, families and communities across England. Today, major parts of our water industry are owned overseas. Significant sections of our energy infrastructure are owned overseas. British Steel has endured repeated ownership crises. Even many of our airports and utilities are controlled by foreign investors.

International Disparities in Strategic Asset Protection

The question workers across England should ask is simple.

Would other countries allow this? The answer is often no.

France regularly intervenes when strategic industries face foreign takeovers. Germany operates strict national-interest tests on major acquisitions. Governments across Europe recognise that some industries are too important to leave entirely to market forces. Yet the British government has largely adopted the opposite approach. If the price is right, almost anything can be sold. The following chart highlights the British government approach and how weak the government protection level is in comparison to other countries.

The result is that decisions affecting workers in Birmingham, Scunthorpe, Sunderland or Stoke are increasingly made in boardrooms thousands of miles away. When those decisions go wrong, it is workers across England who pay the price.

The Call for an England National Interest Test

For clarity, The Workers of England is not opposed to investment. We welcome companies that create jobs, build factories, train apprentices and invest in communities across England. But ownership must come with responsibility. A company that acquires an important English business should be required to demonstrate how its plans will benefit workers, customers and communities. That then should be enforced through legalisation.

That is why Workers of England is calling for an England National Interest Test.

Any takeover involving major employers, critical infrastructure or strategic industries should be assessed against clear criteria: 1. Will jobs be protected? 2. Will investment increase? 3. Will production remain in England? 4. Will local communities benefit? If the answer is no, the takeover should not proceed. England cannot build long-term prosperity by selling off its industrial inheritance piece by piece. The Cadbury story should never be repeated. Yet even where companies remain in England, another threat is growing. Jobs are increasingly being transferred overseas while companies continue to profit from workers across England and consumers.

In Part Two, we examine how profitable companies are moving jobs abroad and ask a simple question: If profits come from England, why shouldn't the jobs stay here too?

Key Takeaways

• Vulnerability of Heritage Brands: Iconic English institutions like Cadbury, Boots, and British Steel have faced major factory closures and job cuts following global corporate acquisitions.
• Critical Infrastructure Exposure: Unlike European neighbors, the UK maintains a weak protective stance, leaving vital infrastructure, including Thames Water and Heathrow Airport, under foreign ownership control.
• Call for a National Interest Test: The Workers of England Union demands legal safeguards requiring corporate takeovers to prove long-term benefits for local job preservation, regional investment, and manufacturing stability.
• Rising Threats of Offshoring: Beyond full foreign ownership, domestic industries increasingly move vital operational roles overseas while continuing to extract commercial profits from English consumers.

Read our Campaign: Protecting Vital Industries