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Did people in Sunderland want this when they voted for a no-deal brexit?.

(91 Posts)
varian Wed 03-Jun-20 18:19:31

Britain’s largest car factory may still not have a future if the UK leaves the European Union without a trade deal in place, Nissan has stated.

The Japanese firm’s Sunderland plant, which employs 7000 workers and made 350,000 cars last year, received a boost last week when Nissan confirmed it is committed to making it the centre of its European production operations.

However, the company's global chief operating officer claims that it's still at risk if a no-deal Brexit occurs.

Ashwani Gupta told the BBC: “You know we are the number one car maker in the UK and we want to continue. We are committed. Having said that, if we aren't getting the current tariffs, it’s not our intention, but the business will not be sustainable. That’s what everybody has to understand”.

www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/nissan-sunderland-plant-%E2%80%9Cunsustainable%E2%80%9D-without-brexit-deal

PGAgirl Sun 14-Jun-20 21:37:19

How do you know that people were influenced by posters, that is very arrogant? People looked at the arguments and decided for themselves. Brexit is done thank goodness and if we have to have no deal because the EU is being unreasonable as usual then so be it. Myself I am absolutely fed up with the UK subsidising the wastrel that is the EU. All the EU want is to delay the agreement to get more money from us. Why are people so scared of the UK going it's own way, and making it's own decisions?

MayBee70 Sun 14-Jun-20 23:24:14

So, what’s the point of putting up posters if it isn’t to influence people?

growstuff Mon 15-Jun-20 03:00:40

Not scared, but anybody with half a brain can see that the UK is a little island, which has been punching above its weight for decades. It's about to become even smaller when Scotland leaves and Ireland possibly unites. The UK needs the EU. It does not need to become a vassal of the United States, which is what's about to happen.

I just wish that the ones who want to go their own way could cast themselves adrift and leave the rest of us where we are.

MaizieD Mon 15-Jun-20 08:18:17

People looked at the arguments and decided for themselves.

If only they'd looked at the facts instead....

ladymuck Mon 15-Jun-20 09:54:35

It sounds as though Nissan were looking for an excuse to close production anyway and have taken advantage of the current situation to do so.

Eloethan Mon 15-Jun-20 10:28:52

That is going to be the new argument now - that it was convenient for Nissan. So it has nothing to do with the fact that the company would incur tariffs if we leave the EU without some sort of deal?

Some Nissan employees are suggesting that the company is angling for the government to pick up the tariff tab. That may be the case, who is to know? But, even if that is true, it could be argued that if the government decides, to protect the industry, to cover these sorts of expenses it will negatively affect our financial position even further, at a time when we are already on the back foot.

MaizieD Mon 15-Jun-20 10:29:56

How on earth does that attempt at justification tally with Nissan asking their workers not to vote Leave in the the run up to the referendum. If they were planning to close production down they would surely have stayed quiet.

Not to mention them accepting May's as yet undisclosed bribe to get them to stay.

Leave voters really should own the consequences of their vote.

MayBee70 Mon 15-Jun-20 15:11:52

And what happened about them suing the leave campaign for lying about them. I assume that was dropped when after May intervened.

Davidhs Mon 15-Jun-20 16:15:38

Nissan
The last I heard they were closing a factory in Spain and moving 2 models to U.K. , the Captur and Juke I think. So I think they are sitting on the fence for the time being until the know the score. Nissan seems to be merging with Renault so the long term out look is not great, the French always look after their own, wish we did the same !.

Whitewavemark2 Tue 16-Jun-20 08:10:27

A poll shows that the northern so called red wall who voted Johnson in and for Brexit overwhelmingly are against a no deal brexit.

The chickens are coming home to roost and the implication of what brexit means to their livelihoods and standard of living is finally becoming clear.

It won’t be long (about April 2021) when the northern voter will be overwhelmingly against brexit. But it will be all too late then I’m afraid.

MaizieD Tue 16-Jun-20 08:36:03

...overwhelmingly are against a no deal brexit.

Whatever makes them think that their views matter in the slightest to the government they voted for? They've done their bit. Time to shut up now...

Whitewavemark2 Tue 16-Jun-20 08:44:09

Exactly maizie but they never understood that did they?

growstuff Tue 16-Jun-20 09:13:14

Davidhs Nissan and Renault have long been partners. Due to the long-term decline in demand for petrol engines, exarcebated by the current pandemic, Nissan is scaling back its European market.

The French government has a 10% stake in Renault, which has been a bone of contention with Nissan, which bailed out Renault in the past. Renault needs help again and Nissan is putting pressure on the French government to give up its share.

Nissan has decided to concentrate on the Renault brand in mainland Europe. It would have kept the Nissan brand, centred on Sunderland, but the threat of tariffs means that exports wouldn't be viable. The European market is already a tight one for small and medium cars. 70% of the cars manufactured in Sunderland go to the EU and it just wouldn't be profitable to continue. There is little chance of increasing the UK market.

Nissan isn't a charity. Its prime function is to make a profit and can hardly be blamed for wanting to do just that.

Brexit has been the last straw - unless the government jumps in with a huge sweetener (just as May presumably did in her secret deal in 2016).

Furret Tue 16-Jun-20 10:53:42

MaizieD

I'm afraid that is one petition I don't intend to sign. Most British farmers voted for Brexit (though the handful that I know actually didn't...). They've brought this on themselves. No sympathy from me.

This

MaizieD Tue 16-Jun-20 12:13:46

Are you stalking me now, Furret?