Labour's £10bn 'show of confidence' to deliver just a tenth of promised jobs

A FLAGSHIP £10billion investment hailed by Sir Keir Starmer as part of "a record-breaking show of confidence" will deliver just a tenth of the jobs it promised.

- Jonathan Walker

Ministers announced in October that US asset-management firm Blackstone was to build a giant AI data centre in Northumberland "creating 4,000 jobs, including 1,200 roles dedicated to the construction of the site".

However, plans submitted to Northumberland County Council report that "direct employment" at the site "is anticipated to be in the region of 400 FTE (full-time equivalent)".

It says more jobs will be created through "indirect and induced employment", for example because staff will boost the local economy by spending their wages or because the existence of the data centre might attract other tech firms.

The application, from Blackstone subsidiary QTS, confirms "peak monthly construction employment could be around 1,200 jobs" but only while the centre is being built.