'Government must give more help to fight high gas prices'

Pottery union’s anger at Industrial Strategy

- Jonathan Sutton

POTTERY workers are calling on the Government for more help with eye-watering energy costs after its new industrial masterplan ignored the effects of gas prices.

The Industrial Strategy announced measures to tackle electricity costs in energy-intensive sectors from 2027. It backed eight high potential industries - including the ceramics industry in Stoke-on-Trent. But the plan is to tackle only electricity prices - with no mention made of gas, the primary fuel of the pottery industry.

The price of gas is now six times higher than it was in 2022 and was among the factors blamed for the collapse of two city potbanks - Royal Stafford and Moorcroft - this year.

Although Moorcroft was saved by a grandson of the company founder, dozens of jobs were lost across the companies. Now pottery workers and the GMB Union are calling on the government to increase support for the sector.