Liverpool Festive Farmers Tractor Run 2024

ON Sunday, 22 December 2024 the annual Liverpool Festive Farmers Tractor Run took place despite the extremely strong wind. The route ran in a clockwise direction around City Centre, with it making its usual stop at:- Alder Hey Children's Hospital, to deliver cash and presents.

The event was a huge success, despite the weather and it was also it will be live streamed with tracker on the organisers, Oliver Harrison (Olly Blogs) YouTube Channel.

This is footage of the tractors from all over Merseyside, and surrounding areas, including:- Southport and Banks, took part in the parade as it passed the Royal Liverbuildings. We would like to say a big thanks to YouTuber Paul Frost for keeping us warm in his van as we waited. Please do check out his channel to see more fantastic footage!

In our footage you can clearly here the fantastic noise that the tractors made with their horns and air horns, along with the loud music, but for some spectators this might have been to over whelming for them, so along the route they had a designed for children with sensory issues to watch from. This Quite Zone was a fantastic idea and added to the inclusivity of the event and the enjoyment of this sceptical.

Sadly, the fragmentation of the parade, due to them not being able to keep in a continues convoy, like in Southport and with other parades as of late, due to them having to stop at traffic lights and not having Police Escorts anymore does slightly spoil the effect of having so many agricultural vehicles decorated. Also, not letting them stop traffic and go through red lights with a Police Escort, not only misses the reinforcing good will and helping with community policing, it also courses more traffic problems than it solves. What are you thoughts on this?

Well done to all those who took part. This year the .British farming has seen a very challenging time and it is amazing to see the agricultural community were still trying to spread some Christmas Joy, but also raise money for charity! If you would like to donate, please do so via the official Liverpool Festive Farmers Tractor Run donation page, please visit:- JustGiving.Com.

North West manufacturers see post Budget slump in confidence

BUSINESS confidence among North West manufacturers has dipped sharply to the lowest level in a year in response to rocketing costs and the Budget, according to a survey published by Make UK and business advisory firm BDO.

The Make UK/BDO Manufacturing Outlook Q4 survey shows that output fell in the last 3 months at a balance of -6% and, while orders for the last 3 months were still positive, they have fallen significantly for the next quarter to a balance of just +6%. This more negative picture is reflected in recruitment intentions which took a downturn, while investment by North West companies is flat.

This picture contrasts sharply with the previous survey when 58% of companies saw a brighter economic outlook under a new Government and when, bar the immediate post-Covid recovery, business confidence among manufacturers had reached its highest level in a decade.

According to the survey, 70% of North West manufacturers have seen their costs already increase by up to a fifth in the last year, while 8% had seen their costs rise by up to a half. In particular, the survey shows 86% of companies will see their business costs increase due to the Make Work Pay reforms, with 44% of companies saying the increase will be:- 'significant'.

With the Budget set to add substantial extra business costs to those that companies were already facing, in particular the changes to National Insurance Contributions, Make UK has cut its growth forecasts with manufacturing contracting by -0.2% this year and growing by just 0.7% in 2025.

In response, Make UK is urging the Government to look at measures which might help alleviate the impact of rising costs, in particular reforms to business rates and current incentives to decarbonise.

Commenting, Dawn Huntrod, Region Director at Make UK in the North, said:- "Having faced a cost creep for most of the year, manufacturers in the North West are now facing a cost crisis which has brought a sharp dip in their confidence. While overall conditions had begun to gradually improve during the year, the Budget has brought this to a shuddering halt, with the substantial increase in National Insurance Contributions potentially the straw that might break the camel's back for some. There is now an urgent need for Government to look at other measures which might mitigate the impact of the rocketing costs that businesses are now facing."

Graham Ellis, Head of Manufacturing at BDO in the North West, said:- "While manufacturers across the North West have welcomed the Government's Industrial Strategy green paper, optimism across the Region is declining, driven by increased input costs and the implications of the latest Budget on employment costs. Increasing investment in improving productivity is vital now more than ever to maintain stability and offer opportunities for growth across the North West and the wider sector."