Council leader 'still waiting' on Dyson redundancies details

A council leader has said he still has not received an update about the Dyson redundancies, describing his current situation as involving "guesswork".

The British-founded company is the main employer in Malmesbury and announced on Tuesday that it planned to cut up to a third of its UK workforce.

Leader of Wiltshire Council Richard Clewer said he was still waiting to find out more about the 1,000 potential redundancies, adding “we still don’t know the number of people or where they are based".

Dyson UK has been approached for comment.

Mr Clewer said: “We don’t know how many are Wiltshire residents.

“It could be the majority of them live in Bristol, I just don’t know, and that doesn’t help.”

Although details surrounding the redundancies are unclear, Mr Clewer noted that online discussion indicated that it could affect the software engineers.

“It’s absurd that as leader of the council, I’m dealing with online rumour rather than something definite on something of this scale," he added.

The firm, best known for inventing the bagless vacuum cleaner, has said it is responding to “increasingly fierce and competitive global markets” and ensuring it is “prepared for the future”.

Dyson CEO Hanno Kirner said on Tuesday that the company would support those at risk of redundancy.

Mr Kirner said: “We have grown quickly and, like all companies, we review our global structures from time to time to ensure we are prepared for the future.

“As such, we are proposing changes to our organisation, which may result in redundancies.”

He added: “Decisions which impact close and talented colleagues are always incredibly painful.

“Those whose roles are at risk of redundancy as a result of the proposals will be supported through the process.”

The announcement comes after founder Sir James Dyson faced criticism for moving the global head office of his company from Britain to Singapore in 2019 after championing the economic benefits of Brexit.

According to the Sunday Times Rich List 2024, he is the fifth-richest person in the United Kingdom, with an estimated net worth of £20.8bn.

Earlier this year, the government approved a £6m donation from Sir James to allow a Malmesbury primary school to construct a new science, technology, engineering, art and maths centre.

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