8 IN VIEW
By Ged Henderson
Nigel Farage strode into County Hall. Turquoise was the overwhelming colour. Applause was enthusiastic, hands were banged on the cabinet table. This was the visit of a conquering general.
Farage’s Reform UK party achieved a victory of seismic proportions in May’s election battle. It entered the campaign with just two councillors but ended it winning 53 of the 84 seats and is firmly in control.
Now its leader was playing a flying visit north, all smiles, offering words of congratulation, but also rallying his troops for the tasks ahead.
Sporting a red rose on his lapel he declared: “We were the party with the energy, we were the party with the enthusiasm, we were the party with the belief.”
FARAGE ON THE VICTORY TRAIL
BRIGHT FUTURE
Burnley isn’t just resilient; it’s thriving and evolving into a beacon of opportunity and innovation. At Burnley College, we’re proud to fuel this transformation, developing talent, equipping businesses with cutting- edge skills.
Skilled people are Burnley’s greatest asset. That’s why we’re committed to equipping the next generation of leaders with the expertise needed to excel locally and beyond.
The government’s new Industrial Strategy is a welcome step forward, particularly for engineering and manufacturing. With a clear, long-term vision backed by serious investment, it’s exciting to imagine how many businesses in our town will benefit.
At Burnley College, we’re reviewing these benefits for our local SMEs who make up the vast majority of the sector to ensure the strategy truly delivers where it’s needed most.
We’re particularly pleased to see skills gaps recognised as a major barrier and the introduction of the Upskilling and Reskilling
Neil Burrows
Programme. This is exactly the kind of support our SMEs need to thrive.
We also welcome the introduction of Skills England as a central coordinating body. Its role in simplifying the skills system, co-designing solutions with businesses and aligning skills delivery with local and national priorities will be crucial.
The governments renewed focus on apprenticeships is a positive step for Burnley. From August, shorter apprenticeships in
industry@burnley.ac.uk
engineering, manufacturing and digital will open new pathways into industry, and the expansion of foundation apprenticeships in construction, health and engineering will offer more flexible opportunities to learn and earn.
Burnley College recently partnered with Rolls Royce, whose apprentice engineers will now train with our industry-leading facilities while learning hands-on skills at one of the area’s leading manufacturers.
Another new partnership is with Farleys Solicitors who are providing work placements for our students. Farleys recognise the power of investing in young people, allowing them to learn with real-world experiences. I can’t wait to see how these partnerships develop.
To every business leader or advocate, I ask one simple question: how can we work together to go further? Whether upskilling your workforce, exploring tech solutions or joining our Thrive forums, I want to hear from you.
Together, we’ll ensure Burnley’s best days are ahead. This is our time. Let’s seize it.
BURNLEY’S
This was a visit where the priorities and policies of the new Reform ruling group became somewhat clearer, including how it will look to do business. These were the topic of a brief discussion between Farage and the council’s new all-male cabinet.
Finding efficiencies is high on the Reform agenda. So is increasing productivity in the council.
To that end the party leader’s trip to Preston was to be followed a week later by the arrival of the controversial Reform ‘DOGE’ unit – modelled on Trump’s spend-slashing US Department of Government Efficiency previously run by Elon Musk.
A ‘legally binding’ referendum on an elected mayor for Lancashire is also up there. New
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