FEL Discusses the Future of Made in the UK with BBC Radio 4

On Friday 13th February, BBC Radio 4’s flagship political programme Today in Parliament turned its attention to why so many of our clothes aren’t made in Britain?

In a report by parliamentary correspondent Susan Hulme, listeners were taken from the green benches of the House of Commons to Fashion-Enter Ltd’s (FEL) busy factory floor in north London to discuss why the UK textile manufacturing still has a future.

(During the interview, Jenny is joined by designer Jo Jacobs to discuss the importance of understanding garment construction.)

At FEL’s premises, CEO Jenny Holloway set out the company’s model: an ethical garment manufacturer able to produce anything from small sample runs of 100 pieces to orders of 5,000. Alongside production, the company runs a skills academy teaching pattern cutting, stitching and garment construction, training designed to sustain the technical expertise the industry depends on.

Their client list is diverse. More than 70 independent designers and micro-brands use the factory, alongside three major high street retailers, whose identities are protected by non-disclosure agreements. The company also produces specialist items such as costumes and runs a repair centre handling work for global brands including Patagonia and Lululemon.

The factory floor, filled with industrial pressing machines and specialist equipment, stands as a reminder of Britain’s manufacturing heritage but also of its decline. Holloway recalled that before the pandemic, the company was producing up to 30,000 garments a week. During COVID-19, it pivoted to personal protective equipment, making around 20,000 items weekly to support the NHS.

Yet once the immediate crisis passed, much of that emergency procurement shifted back overseas.

“It is annoying,” Holloway suggested, that after UK factories “stepped up” during the national emergency, production was once again offshored to countries such as China.

The cost question and national security

At the heart of the debate is cost. With the UK minimum wage standing at £12.40 an hour compared with garment sector wages measured in pence per hour in countries like Bangladesh, British factories struggle to compete on price alone.

But Holloway argued that the discussion should go beyond labour costs. She pointed to national security and government procurement, noting that UK public sector procurement totals more than £400 billion annually. Why, she asked, could not at least 10% be directed toward domestic factories?

She raised a particularly striking example: military uniforms. The United States mandates that its military uniforms are manufactured domestically for security reasons. Why not Britain? With modern textiles capable of incorporating specialist finishes or even tracking technologies, Holloway suggested there were strategic reasons to keep production at home.

From factory floor to Commons chamber

Back in Westminster, the debate had been secured by Labour MP Catherine West, a former Foreign Office minister. Wearing a skirt made decades earlier from Liberty fabric brought from Australia by her sister, she made the case for “slow, ethical fashion” and a revival of UK manufacturing skills.

West argued that while fast fashion had driven outsourcing and offshoring, rising awareness of environmental and social concerns offered an opportunity to rebuild domestic capacity. Government purchasing power, she said, could be a catalyst, particularly in areas such as military uniforms.

Responding for the Conservatives, Rebecca Paul acknowledged the value of supporting homegrown industry but emphasised economic realities: high UK energy costs, labour expenses, taxes and regulatory burdens all make offshore production attractive. However, she argued that British firms can still compete on quality and speed.

The minister, Chris Bryant, struck an enthusiastic tone about British fashion’s global reputation, name-checking brands such as Paul Smith and Superdry among others. More substantively, he appeared intrigued by the military uniform proposal, promising to raise the issue with defence ministers.

A Made in the UK future?

The debate highlights a broader crossroads for the UK textile industry. On one side lies the relentless pressure of globalised supply chains and lower overseas costs. On the other stands a case built on ethics, sustainability, speed to market, skills preservation and national resilience.

FEL’s combination of small-batch manufacturing, repairs, and training reflects an industry attempting to adapt rather than compete purely on volume. The Commons debate suggests there is at least political appetite to explore how government policy, particularly procurement, might help.

This interview is available to listen to on BBC Sounds, tap here – until 15th March 2026

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