The Daily Mail reports on a warning by the UK’s Unite union to Chancellor Alastair Darling. The union told Darling that 100k jobs are at risk by the “imminent” closure of a car factory. “We made it absolutely clear that the prospect of a plant closure will have a devastating effect on UK manufacturing,” Unite’s Derek Simpson told the paper. “Immediate and effective intervention is required from the Government.” That would be a £13b bailout. Yes, yes. Who’s in danger of going belly-up, then? As, the Brits would say, that would be telling. Keep in mind, that the union boys are throwing around the 100k number in the same way that the infamous CAR study claimed 3m U.S. jobs would be lost if Detroit didn’t receive a federal bailout. You know, counting anyone even remotely affiliated with the car biz, like gas station attendants. Anyway, according to the Mirror, “All the major car manufacturers denied they are considering shutting down factories in Britain.” So I’m thinking . . . Vauxhall told its UK CEO to “send the boys ’round.”
And the bullshit just keeps piling up. Have they no honour, I ask?
Where’s that guy in the armour, with a raw chicken, hitting people in the head? Where’s that guy when you need him? This is getting too silly…
Mr Farago,
What’s your reasoning for thinking it may be Vauxhall?
Although Vauxhall is the logical candidate, it could be Jag/LR as they’ve been begging the govt to do something/anything quickly, or maybe Ford as they only build the Transit in Britain these days.
Nope, I suspect Robert is right. GM used the same threat to the US and it seems to be working so why change a “winning” strategy.
Gads, this sounds so turgidly familiar. Just proves US and UK are 2 countries separated by a common language.