Autumn Budget 2026: Six People at Katoni Engineering, Five Questions
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The UK Autumn Budget lands this afternoon, Wednesday 28 October 2026. Yesterday, Katoni Engineering asked six colleagues the same five questions about what would make a difference to them at home, to the team they work in, and to whoever comes into the industry after them.
Not everyone answered every question. Under each one are the answers that best stand on their own, trimmed for length but otherwise in their own words.
At a Glance: What Katoni’s Team Want from the Budget
- Household costs: lower fuel prices, the cost of food and shopping, and unfreezing personal tax allowances.
- Apprenticeships and training: long-term backing for apprenticeships and in-work training, and letting SMEs use skills funding for engineering graduates and cross-skilling.
- A visible career path: a funded route for technicians and engineers to move between oil and gas, offshore wind and carbon capture without paying to retrain at every step.
- A plan for the North East: a long-term commitment to keep skills and talent in the region through the energy transition.
- Stability: a future that doesn’t change with every policy shift or electoral cycle.
Who We Asked
"If the Chancellor could change one thing today that would make a real difference to you or your household, what would it be?"
Liam Godsman: “As someone who drives around 45 minutes to and from work every day it would be nice to see the fuel prices come down! I feel like they go up more every time I need to fill up my car.”
Craig Barbour: “Whilst he may not have full control over it, the cost of food/shopping is getting ridiculous now, especially in a single household.”
Tony Whitaker: “Unfreeze the personal allowances and stop taxing everyone by the back door. We all understand how tax works and the need for it, so just keep it simple.”
"What’s one thing in the Budget that would help Katoni, or the team you work in, over the next year?"
Liam McIntyre: “It would be good to see proper long-term backing for apprenticeships and in-work training.”
Liam Godsman: “I would like to see more done to help boost apprenticeships / alternative post school routes rather than Uni. I know myself how good an apprenticeship can be at making a solid start in the world of work and seeing more people get that opportunity I think is better for young people, employers and the community. A win for everyone in my eyes if more training and hands on experience is funded.”
Stuart Gray: “Let SMEs use apprenticeship and skills funding for engineering graduates and cross-skilling, not just entry-level schemes.”
"Beyond your own pay packet, what would you like to see for your community or the next generation coming into the industry?"
Stuart Gray: “A career path they can actually see. Right now we tell 18-year-olds the industry is closing, then wonder why they don’t apply. I’d like a funded route where a young technician or engineer can move between oil and gas, offshore wind, and carbon capture without paying for retraining at every step.”
Tony Whitaker: “I’d like to see long term commitment or at least a long term plan for the region in how we are going to transition into other areas, retaining the skills and talent in the NE.”
Craig Barbour: “Ideally some stability (difficult to predict and manage) but also less volatility in how the industry is branded/perceived.”
Mark Reynolds: “A future, one that doesn’t depend on electoral cycles.”
"If you had five minutes with the Chancellor, what would you want them to understand about the people who work in our industry?"
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Liam McIntyre: “People in this industry aren’t lines on a spreadsheet. Most folk have built a decent life through hard work and long hours. Every time policy changes, the ladder we’re all standing on gets a bit shakier.”
Stuart Gray: “The people who plan a 60-day shutdown on a 40-year-old platform are the same people you’ll need for CCS and floating wind. Their skills take 20 years to build and about two years to lose. They don’t come back once they’ve retrained as something else.”
"Hopeful or braced to be let down? Do you think you’ll get what you’re hoping for tomorrow?"
Stuart Gray: “Braced, but not cynical.”
Craig Barbour: “Maybe something good will come out of tomorrow.”
Mark Reynolds: “Hopeful, it’s the hope that kills you.”
"What Happens Next?"
None of this is a prediction of what the Chancellor will announce, and Katoni isn’t taking a view on what should be in it. These are six people describing their own lives and work on the day before. Once the detail is out, Katoni Engineering will go back to the same six and ask how what they hoped for compares with what they got.
Speak to Our Team
Have a question or need support? Reach out and our team will get back to you promptly.
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