Petition to keep the Swindon Honds Plant Open

Thrugelmir

Whatever your view. Sign the petition in support of those families that will lose their livelihood through no fault of their own.

https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/honda-stay-in-the-uk-savehondaswindon?source=unite

Arklight

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Whatever your view. Sign the petition in support of those families that will lose their livelihood through no fault of their own.

https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/honda-stay-in-the-uk-savehondaswindon?source=unite

They're losing their livelihood because of fools telling lies about Brexit. There is nothing that can be done about that other than abandoning leaving the EU, which I presume you aren't really very keen on petitioning against?

If you do want to sign a petition that might save some British jobs, ignore this one, which is utterly pointless, and sign this one:

https://www.change.org/p/add-my-name-uk-government-cancel-brexit-and-stay-as-full-member-of-eu

John_G_Jones

What possible use will that serve? Honda have made an economic decision based on the facts as they see them. Why would a petition change their mind?

snowqueen555

I definitely feel for them. Hopefully they will get a decent redundancy package and the skills they have will hopefully give them opportunities in other (and better) roles.

Tiexen

Arklight wrote: »

They're losing their livelihood because of fools telling lies about Brexit. There is nothing that can be done about that other than abandoning leaving the EU, which I presume you aren't really very keen on petitioning against?

If you do want to sign a petition that might save some British jobs, ignore this one, which is utterly pointless, and sign this one:

https://www.change.org/p/add-my-name-uk-government-cancel-brexit-and-stay-as-full-member-of-eu

Honda have been very clear: this decision has been made because of global trends and is not related to Brexit, The Turkey factory will also close as all European market production is being consolidated to Japan, where the company is based.

Arklight

Tiexen wrote: »

Honda have been very clear: this decision has been made because of global trends and is not related to Brexit, The Turkey factory will also close as all European market production is being consolidated to Japan, where the company is based.

Honda warned repeatedly that Brexit would have negative influences on their UK base. They then warned no deal would be as bad. They then announced they are leaving.

I quoted these in sequence on the other thread. Turkey may very well have remained viable if the UK hadn't been abandoned, but the Japanese are cautious and may have just decided they've had enough.

Japan has sunk hundreds of millions of pounds into the UK as a European manufacturing base. It's hard to overstate how little they want this Brexit mess or how unprecedented it is that both their corporations and their government have criticised it.

Carl31

If hondas decision was Brexit related, would it changed if Brexit was cancelled next week? I doubt it

StevieJ

Has Brexit reduced this once proud nation to the begging bowl

Arklight

Carl31 wrote: »

If hondas decision was Brexit related, would it changed if Brexit was cancelled next week? I doubt it

No it wouldn't. It would stop Nissan leaving, and the exodus of other firms that are looking at the door now.

Or maybe it's too late for that now. In fact there's another new Brexit slogan.

"BREXIT - The damage is already done so we may as well carry on."

fatbeetle

Arklight wrote: »

They're losing their livelihood because of fools telling lies about Brexit.

Talking of fools telling lies, there's a whopper just there...

Q: If Brexit had not happened, would this investment still be going on?

This is not a Brexit related issue for us. This decision is being made on the basis of the global changes I spoke about. So although we were very clear on our Brexit position, we’ve always seen it as something that we will get through. Nevertheless, these other changes which are coming at us globally, we have to now respond to. And as I said, it’s a really sad day for our people in Swindon and certainly we deeply regret the impact that this is going to have on them and their community.

Ian Howells, the senior vice president for Honda in Europe, and the most senior representative of the company in the UK

LONDON (Reuters) - Honda’s decision to close its only British car plant is not related to Brexit and is a product of global changes in the industry, the firm’s Europe’s boss said on Tuesday.

“This is not a Brexit-related issue for us. This decision has been made on the basis of... global changes,” Honda Senior Vice President for Europe Ian Howells told BBC Radio.

The Swindon plant, which makes Civic hatchbacks and 4x4 CR-Vs and employs 3,500 staff, will close in 2021 after more than two decades in operation.

Takahiro Hachigo, Honda chief executive, told a press conference in Tokyo that the decision “was not informed by Brexit”.

Justin Tomlinson, the MP for North Swindon, where the factory is based, furthered that point of view, telling Reuters: "This is not Brexit-related. It is a reflection of the global market. They are seeking to consolidate production in Japan."

Honda blamed changing conditions in the global auto market, and cited a desire to "prepare our manufacturing network for the future."

As well as announcing the Swindon closure, Honda said it will close a production facility in Turkey which employs over 1,000 people, and produces close to 40,000 cars annually.

You have to laugh at people like "Arklight" whose whole lives seem to be defined by Brexit, to the point of obsession.

wunferall

Well well well; Honda hadn't even announced a closure before a certain faction were quickly (if wrongly) blaming Brexit.

Why aren't they equally fast in attributing this to Brexit I wonder?

Luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover, part of Tata Motors Ltd, is preparing to announce hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment in Britain, the BBC reported on Friday.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-autos-jlr/jaguar-land-rover-to-announce-major-uk-investment-bbc-idUKKCN1QI517
:T