Jo Bamford brands overseas zero-emission bus funding a ‘national scandal’

Jo Bamford, Wrightbus

The owner of Ballymena-based Wrightbus has launched a sharp attack on the use of taxpayer-funded grants to support overseas manufacturers, branding the move a “national scandal” and warning it risks undermining jobs and investment in Northern Ireland.

Jo Bamford, who rescued Wrightbus from administration in 2019 and helped transform it into one of the UK’s leading zero-emission bus manufacturers, spoke out after the Scottish Government allocated the largest share of a £45 million funding package for zero-emission buses and coaches to a Chinese manufacturer.

The comments strike at the heart of a growing debate over how public money is used to support the UK’s green transport transition — and what that means for domestic industry, including one of Ballymena’s most significant employers.

Ballymena jobs and UK manufacturing in focus

Wrightbus, now the UK’s last remaining domestic bus manufacturer, has become a flagship name in the shift to cleaner public transport, producing electric and hydrogen-powered single- and double-deck vehicles from its Northern Ireland base.

The company now employs almost 2,500 people, with more than 2,000 based in Ballymena alone.

Mr Bamford said the decision to direct major public funding overseas was deeply concerning.

“Money from the pockets of the UK taxpayer should not be being used to boost factories overseas - it is nothing short of a national scandal.”

He added:

“The UK bus industry employs thousands of people directly and tens of thousands more across its supply chain and has achieved success not just domestically, but around the world.

“Decisions like this risk undermining a strategically important sector at a critical moment in its development, and the whole sector is together on this.”

His remarks are likely to resonate strongly in Ballymena, where Wrightbus remains a major economic anchor and symbol of industrial revival following its dramatic rescue from collapse.

Momentum continues for Wrightbus

The criticism comes at a time when Wrightbus has been celebrating fresh momentum.

In a recent boost for the Ballymena manufacturer, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham confirmed an order for 55 additional electric buses for the region’s Bee Network.

The announcement followed a visit to the Wrightbus facility in Ballymena, where production is already underway on 76 electric double-deck buses from an earlier order.

Those vehicles are expected to begin entering service in April, further cementing the company’s growing role in the UK’s zero-emission transport rollout.

Call to back homegrown industry

Mr Bamford said the UK already has the skills, workforce and technology needed to lead the sector and urged future funding decisions to reflect that.

“We have the capability, the workforce, and the technology right here in the UK.”

He added:

“In Ballymena alone we employ over 2,000 people and the impact of decisions like this on the Northern Ireland economy cannot be underestimated.

“What we need now is a level playing field and a commitment to back UK industry.”

For Ballymena, the issue goes far beyond transport policy.

At stake, Mr Bamford argues, is the future of local manufacturing jobs, regional investment and the role Northern Ireland can play in the UK’s transition to greener public transport.

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At a glance

• Wrightbus owner Jo Bamford has criticised public funding going to overseas bus manufacturers

• He described the decision as a “national scandal”

• The comments follow a £45 million zero-emission bus funding package

• The largest share of the grants went to a Chinese manufacturer

• Wrightbus is based in Ballymena and employs over 2,000 people locally

• The company is the UK’s last domestic bus manufacturer

• Wrightbus recently secured a further 55-bus order for Greater Manchester

• Concerns centre on the impact on UK jobs and the Northern Ireland economy

• Mr Bamford is calling for future funding to prioritise UK industry

• The issue raises wider questions about public investment and local manufacturing