"The blame lies squarely on the chancellor": 300 jobs lost as Utility Alliance files for administration

A North East energy broker has announced that more than 300 jobs will be lost as it files for administration.

Utility Alliance, which has offices in Newcastle, Teesside and Sheffield, has taken its website and phone lines offline after emailing staff.

The news comes after restrictions imposed by the government in wake of the pandemic.

There are set to be around 240 redundancies at the company’s Hartlepool headquarters, as well as 70 across its Newcastle and Sheffield sites.

Mike Hill, MP of Hartlepool, commented: “I am devastated by the news that Utility Alliance is going bust after providing so many jobs and such a boost to the local economy.

“The directors have made it clear that the government support schemes have not been enough to keep their business afloat through the storm that is raging around us.

“Government have not done enough to help home-grown businesses in the UK to manage the crisis and as such around another 300 people will now be laid off.

“The blame for this both in Hartlepool, and nationally, lies squarely with the chancellor, Rishi Sunak.

“This was avoidable if the government had taken a stronger line earlier and secured the economy properly in the face of this crisis as other countries did.

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