This morning on the Today programme and accompanying news bulletins the BBC suggsted that if the UK voted to leave the EU the Nissan jobs could be at risk. Yet listening to the clip of the interview, Nissan made very clear that they have a great factory in Sunderland and have no intention of closing that, whether the UK stays in or leaves the EU. Their comments were about future additional investment, not a threat to what they have.
Of course when planning any future UK investment the UK’s relationship with wider European markets will be a relevant consideration. If the Uk leaves the EU I expect we will have decent arrangements to continue buying and selling cars to each other . The German industry will inists on this. So I expect Nissan would continue to find the UK a great place for new factories, just as it clearly likes its present investment.
Indeed, if we negotiate a new relationship that allows us to cut some of the regulatory and other costs of the EU rules, companies might like the Uk more, not less. Companies will also understand that they want to sell to the important UK market, where consumers are also voters and where those voters want a referendum on the EU.
The BBC should questioning peoples’ jobs, and just report what is actually said, which was carefully nuanced and about future investment.
November 8, 2013
BBC in pro-EU distortion shock.
November 8, 2013
It is something of a “Pope suspected of being a Roman Catholic” story.
Indeed, questions have been raised in the HoC, by Conservative MPs such as Karl McCartney, on the matter of the BBC receiving EU funds and the question of bias this must raise.
November 8, 2013
In BBC defense, what is being said can be watched at the BBC site and the caption with the clip as I give it here sounds quite correct, having just watched that clip:
Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn warned the carmaker would have “to reconsider its strategy” if the UK exited the EU.
In you parliament, where you appear to be absent, scores of your colleagues are mentioning these issues right now, and not just about Nissan. Interesting watching for a moment or two, is this an attempted filibuster?
Reply I have been in the chamber three times, and have voted twice so far. I am not planning to make a speech, as the last thing I wish to do is to delay the Bill. Everyone knows I support it.
November 8, 2013
You support Cameron, that’s all we need to know.
November 8, 2013
But why does a commons sense answer to a journalist’s question become the main story for half a day?
And when did Carlos Ghosn use the word “warn” that is in the BBC headline?
I can understand that newspapers have an “angle” but why should the BBC?
November 8, 2013
Having pleaded with Tory colleagues not to put down amendments which could provide opponents with opportunities to talk his Bill out, Wharton has done just that himself with his own amendment to allow Gibraltarians to vote in the EU referendum, in the extremely unlikely event that it happens according to his proposed law.
It was three and a half hours from the start of proceedings to the division on his amendment, much of that time being used up by Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs accepting each others’ interventions and answering points, back and forth, back and forth, ranging as far afield as the Falklands.
Reply There were also Labour amendments in the same grouping, so the Gibraltar amendment was not the only cause of delay.
November 8, 2013
What, surely not pro EU propaganda from the BBC!
I see they are even on about “Small Is Beautiful” by another would be religious leader E. F. Schumacher on the daily politics. I remember reading it in my early teens and deciding it was complete uneconomic nonsense even then.
I think my elder sister had brought it into the house.
November 8, 2013
Did Nissan not want the UK to join the Euro too during the long disastrous era starting when Major was foolishly appointed as chancellor?
November 8, 2013
Soubry was excellent last night on the BBC, with her insults and name calling anyone would think she is a true Lib Dem, Guardian reader and BBC associate- well done. Anyone would think some audience members were hand picked by the lefty BBC, as if eh. What a God send Soubry and her likes are to the UKIP party, keep going you only have half your supporters it will not take much more for all to defect to a true Tory party. No substance from Soubry on issues that people are about, no facts, no strategy for dealing with the problems. Perhaps she joined the Osborne strategy of cross your fingers and hope and change will eventually take place?
November 8, 2013
Disastrous is putting it mildly LL. He wasn’t much better as PM if at all!
Just a glove puppet for the one-world Heath-ites like Clarke and Heseltine!
Tad
November 8, 2013
@Lifelogic: A single currency is attractive from a manufacturers perspective, even more so for business which source the components for their products internationally. The UK benefits from this large currency area for its trade.
It is not proven that the UK couldn’t have joined the euro.
November 9, 2013
@PVL
The UK cannot even set an interest rate which suits the varied economic pressures within it’s own borders. What chance that you could do so for an area the size of the EU?
November 9, 2013
Peter
“A single currency is attractive from a manufacturers perspective”
You said the above. Don’t EVER try and start a business as you haven’t got a clue what you are talking about. Most major multinational business actually use currency fluctuations and the futures market as a way to make themselves competitive or to gain an advantage.
Only a socialist could believe that one size fits all. As a matter of interest what do you actually do for a living?
November 9, 2013
The advantage of having a single currency is often mentioned by SME’s on the continent, which source their half products from various countries. SMEs are businesses too it’s not only for multinationals. Then there are multinationals like your own Virgin-companies which like the single currency. And you know what you’re talking about???
Reply As a former industrialist I can assure you I was always against the ERM and Euro, and was right!
November 10, 2013
Peter
As a very experienced serial entrepreneur and business angel investor I can assure you I know far more about business than you ever will. You seem to forget that there are 120 other currencies beside the Euro so how does that help Virgin or SME’s? Oh it doesn’t. That would also be the Virgin Group owned by a tax exile that lives and operates from the Virgin Islands then would it, so I wonder why he doesn’t live in Europe if he thinks the Euro is such a good idea?
You seem to completely fail to understand that currency fluctuations work both ways, so right now the Euro is down against both sterling and dollar. So by sourcing product from different suppliers in different currencies you can increase the competitive pricing of your product. As I said stick to working in the public sector, you don’t understand.
Every heard of Lord Digby Jones? He is a Labour peer and former head of the CBI. Whilst head of that institution he was in favour of the Euro, now he is back to NOT being head of the CBI but just a non political businessman he is firmly against both the Euro and continued membership of the EU. Hmm I wonder what went on there?
By the way the Netherlands third largest import market ( after Germany and China) is Russia. Please explain the benefit currently of a Dutch company importing from Russia and paying in Euro’s versus a UK company importing from Russia paying in sterling & let me know who currently has the business advantage
November 9, 2013
Peter–I am very sure that matters look different from where you live but that of course is the whole point
November 9, 2013
No it does not really suite manufacturing they can convert it in a second or hedge if they want to anyway, they may win they or may lose but on balance it give little advantage. They would probably prefer a competitive exchange rate, one that adjusts to the needs of the country at the time and reduces or at least mitigates against “booms and busts” as the dope Gordon might say.
November 9, 2013
“Small is beautiful” is surely the antithesis of the EU?
November 9, 2013
I agree small government is beautiful, but small manufacturing plants and industries have poor economies of scale and are rarely very efficient.
November 8, 2013
Renault is a major shareholder of Nissan. The Renault-Nissan alliance is a global vehicle manufacturer which might not be too pleased if the EU blocked its exports from the UK to the EU.
Where a car is assembled might indicate where its body is also pressed and painted, but not much more than that; any restrictions on the movement of vehicle components from either the EU or indeed the UK would be extremely unpopular with most of the European manufacturers of vehicles since probably unbeknownst to the BBC, most vehicle components aren’t made in the final assembly plant or even in the same country. The BBC should stick to talking about pottery with transvestites, because they are surely out of their depth in the real world.
November 8, 2013
What you say is very true. The last time I checked the UK was a net importer of vehicle components, even though a net exporter of completed vehicles. I doubt that has changed much in the past year.
The fact is that car production is a global business. I doubt if the VW Group actaully make more than c2 million cars a year in Germany out of its c9 million total output. The biggest market for VW products in Europe after Germany is, I believe, the UK. Neither VW, BMW nor Daimler Benz would want a tariff war and/or newly imposed local content rules as a consequence of a potential exit from the EU.
November 8, 2013
Not many engineers at the bbc that’s for sure, far too many arty liberal types. Problem is these people control the narrative of the country. They are that way because they can be, guaranteed salaried positions, indexed pension, and far too many of thier own kind there so noone rocks the boat. This used to be called good old fashioned corruption years ago.
November 8, 2013
Firstly if the UK leaves the EU this will result in UK products being subject to EU tariffs, not a blockade.
Secondly unless the UK is supplying much of the EU with an important car part these tariffs won’t harm other car manufacturers in the EU.
Thirdly Nissan could simply open a new plant in the EU and use the new plant to supply cars to the EU, leaving their UK plants to only supply the UK.
November 8, 2013
Fourthly, if the UK were to leave the EU, the likelihood of the EU refusing us membership of the EEA is vanishingly small; the EU is in a bad way as a result of the disastrous common currency and there is unlikely to be any respite unless there are some reversions to national currencies.
Fifthly, the EU cannot erect trade barriers beyond those permitted by the WTO.
Sixthly, volume car plants cannot operate profitably unless they are able to maintain volumes commensurate with the costs of setting up production lines. Plants are contingent on the logistics of component supply which adds to the total costs of assembly at a given plant.
Seventhly, stick to pottery, you know it makes sense.
November 8, 2013
The UK could remain in a tariff-free customs union with the EU even if not a member. The UK could also benefit from lower costs outside the EU, particularly the disapplication of environmental regulations. Those who support EU membership will have to answer these points in a rational way. That’s not happening at the moment.
November 8, 2013
Tariffs can operate both ways, o enemy of your own country.
November 8, 2013
Socialist drivel. Why would the UK buy German cars if it had tariffs imposed on the cars it sold? Wake up, the world is bigger than the EU and most countries now realise what a dreadful bureaucratic dictatorship it has become rather than an enterprise of democratically elected nations joining together for trade. How are the economies of France and Italy at the moment because of the euro and EU folly? People will not stand for mass unemployment and deflation. Only Germany seems to benefit from the fiscal compact.
November 8, 2013
Oh dear, Wrong again uanime5 !
If Britain leaves the EU we will still be a member of the single market in the guise of the European Economic Area which incorporates the EU and the European Free Trade area which predates the UK joining the the EU.
EFTA means exactly what it says : trade that is FREE : ie, no tariffs between its members and the EU.
Switzerland faces no tariff barriers with the EU either, does it ?
Vested interests like the CBI and the trendy lefties at the Guardian and the BBC conveniently forget to mention this, don’t they ?
And you fall for their propaganda every time !
November 8, 2013
Firstly the EU is a political project, not trade.
Secondly you don’t have to be in the EU to trade with it, ask the USA, Japan, China, Norway, Switzerland etc.
Thirdly we pay net costs of £12 billion and rising for an annual trade deficit with it of £50 billion with it.
So lets not worry about those jobs at risk nonsense the Europhiles go on about. We are an important export market to our European friends. We just don’t want or need the EU at all!!
November 8, 2013
You assume that if the EU levies a tariff on exports from the UK there will not be a reciprocal tariff imposed on imports to the UK. Germany alone exports more cars to the UK than the UK exports to the EU. Germany has much more to lose.
I would expect negotiations to be much more grown up than you imply.
November 9, 2013
What always strikes me is the implicit assumption by the likes of uanime5 that our European “partners” are both stupid and malign, and yet we should nonetheless welcome their constant interference in the government of our country.
November 8, 2013
You are of of course Uni, assuming no retaliatory tarrifs would be applied by the UK
For every action…etc
November 9, 2013
Uanime5
8thly most of the output of the UK Nissan factory isn’t actually shipped to either the UK or EU it actually goes to JAPAN.
November 8, 2013
Indeed the Reith lecture turned into a trivial & lightweight comedy slot. Mind you there are a lot of duffers in the list of past lecturers, the main thing seems to be that they have to be of the left & BBC think – with hardly any exceptions.
Perhaps next year may I suggest James Delingpole subject “The failures of balance at the BBC and its corrosive effects on such democracy as remains in the UK” just for a change.
Or the excellent Dr. Richard Lindzen perhaps on BBC propaganda …….
“The fact that the developed world went into hysterics over changes in global mean temperature anomaly of a few tenths of a degree will astound future generations. Such hysteria simply represents the scientific illiteracy of much of the public, the susceptibility of the public to the substitution of repetition for truth, and the exploitation of these weaknesses by politicians, environmental promoters, and, after 20 years of media drum beating, many others as well.”
Reply I once proposed a series of Reith lectures on national identity, federalism and the future settlement of Europe – that was binned as inappropriate.
November 9, 2013
One only has to look down the list of past Reith Lecturers to see what seems to be required.
Lord Patten types toeing the BBC think line in general so perhaps transvestite potters are an improvement!
November 9, 2013
“National identity, federalism and the future settlement of Europe” – Were you looking for the subject that was the very least likely to be accepted?
Even less likely than a competent engineer talking about sensible energy generation systems, Freeman Dyson on climate change or a Prof Patrick Minford on sensible Economics or the advantages of smaller governments.
November 8, 2013
The Nissan gentleman struck me as being intelligent, subtle and taking a broad long term view of the total market. These qualities alas are lost on the BBC. But is Britain’s role in the world simply to act as a transit depot for imports to the EU?
November 8, 2013
The BBC will read whichever labour briefing note or guardian headline they have been given – time to call them to uphold the terms of their charter – start by losing the ieffectual (Lord Patten ed).
November 8, 2013
Ah, The politics of fear.
Rest assured that this will be the policy programme of the Europhiles the nearer we get to that ever promised referendum.
Expect Much, much more of this sort of reporting from the BBC.
November 8, 2013
The BBC cannot be trusted, it is partial and biased. (Other allegations removed ed).
I object in principle to requiring the State’s permission to use a television in my home and receive broadcast news and entertainment. If I do not have a Licence to do so I am open to criminal prosecution. It is contrary to basic freedoms and it must be ended.
If the State decides it needs a Public Service Broadcaster it should be financed out of general taxation. And it does not need to be the enormous organisation it is today. It was conceived in a by-gone age and has grown well beyond its remit.
In any event what business is it of the State to provide entertainment and sports coverage for example, which can and is very well supplied by commercial organisations.
And in these days of devolved government is there not a case for devolving broadcasting rights, each nation can then decide how it finances its own public service broadcaster. The cost must be transparent and open to inspection. There isn’t even a BBC England but Scotland and Wales have their own identities. England has been regionalised. Why should this be so? England is a unity, why is not treated as such by the BBC? I think I may know the answer but I reject it.
November 9, 2013
(Wishes to repeat allegations about BBC with no evidence to back it up – that’s not something I encourage about anyone or any institution ed)
November 8, 2013
The way to stop this propaganda machine is to cut it’s funding.
The old political parties are too afraid to confront the BBC so it will down to ordinary people to stop buying their so called Licences.
I did years ago.
When I talk to TV addicts now it often seems like they’re brainwashed with the received drivel that they regurgitate as fact. When you try to correct them, their eyes glaze over as they try to reconcile what you’ve pointed out to them with their BBC indoctrinated beliefs.
November 8, 2013
The BBC is a propaganda machine and unworthy of the title public service broadcaster. No point in complaining to them as they always reply that they have noted your view but can see nothing wrong with their output. However, many in your party will be pleased that they are playing this ‘fear card’ for them across the country. I don’t suppose the shipyard workers of Portsmouth are being given a second thought now, especially by Anna Soubry, your clueless Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans. On Question Time last night she didn’t know that four brand new British military super tankers for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary are to be built in a South Korean shipyard. How can you bear to be a member of a party with such people holding government office?
November 8, 2013
Well done Nissan and well done the BBC for taking the trouble to interview!
November 9, 2013
@margaret brandreth-j
Margaret, what do you think about the BBC’s interpretation of Carlos Ghosn’s comments? Do you think they were balanced and factual?
November 8, 2013
Surprise !, Surprise !
We all know that the BBC coverage of the EU is grossly biased in favour of the UK remaining in.
The CBI, the BBC and the Pro lobby always talk about the threat to UK jobs if we were to leave.
Nobody is suggesting that if we left the EU we would leave the Single Market and it’s the Single Market that Nissan and every other UK company trading within the EU are desperate to remain within.
Remember, Mr Ghosn is a French-Lebanese-Brazilian businessman who is also CEO of Renault yet has made no attempt to build Nissan cars in France : he knows what is in his employer’s best interest.
Why is the BBC so biased ?
(suggests BBC receives EU money and this could influence them ed)
November 8, 2013
So will you vote for the Alfriye amendment to have an earlier referendum?, or are you going to continue to support Cameron and delay until it is too late? He is going to lose the next election if you leave him in place, give yourselves a chance and remove him, there will be no referendum or conservative government with him in office.
Doing nothing (gestures don’t count) won’t help.
Reply I doubt there will be a vote on the Afriyie amendment, as he himself implied in his speech today.
November 9, 2013
@Normandee
The referendum is already scheduled for Thursday, 22nd May 2014.
Reply That is a foolish thing to say – will you accept its result?
November 9, 2013
I’ll have to, because it’s our only hope.
November 8, 2013
This is the same Nissan that said if the UK doesn’t join the Euro, they were going to pull out and close their British factories.
What a disaster that would have been to join the single currency! Not even Gordon Brown wanted it, so I am at least thankful for that. But I notice in spite of this, Nissan is still here. They recognise that to relocate to mainland Europe would be a massive, expensive, and unnecessary undertaking.
The defining criteria for Nissan to move, or to stay put, is not our membership of the Euro, but is without doubt, our ability to continue to export to mainland Europe should the UK cease to be a member of the European Union, and why wouldn’t we be able to export our goods?
They’ll still want to export to us, as we are (in the words of many EU ministers) are one of their most important trading partners. Are the pro-Europeans really suggesting that in the event of our withdrawal, the EU would be allowed to export to us, but we wouldn’t be allowed to export to them? Really? How so?
I cannot see Nissan wanting to uproot and move elsewhere when they already have a good operation right here in the UK. Such a move would be political, rather than founded upon good business sense.
But here’s the caveat. Many small businesses sink or swim by the decisions made by their proprietors. They can’t afford to get it wrong, and provided they are in full possession of the facts, they can come to a logical conclusion, and move the business forward. It would seem those in charge of large corporate entities aren’t living on the strength of their own decisions to the same degree. If they can even contemplate relocating to mainland Europe should Britain withdraw from the EU, despite this country still being able to export to it, there is something inherently wrong with corporate businesses.
And there’s one corporation that really needs to up its game and purge those who lie and distort the truth to suit their own left-wing political agenda – the British Broadcasting Corporation!
Tad Davison
Cambridge
November 8, 2013
Posts gone again, off topic or on target? it’s hard to tell the rules seem to vary depending who is writing.
November 8, 2013
What do you think of your colleague, last night on the BBC, the Defence Minister, who did not know that Royal Naval ships were being built in South Korea, whilst Naval shipbuilding at Portsmouth was being closed?
November 8, 2013
Nor did she know the combined populations of Romania and Bulgaria, but she got a cheap laugh by giving out an incorrect figure.
November 9, 2013
Nigel Farage was the only person who stood out from the panel.
The rest of them were busy trying to find differences the size of a Rizla between themselves.
Just like the previous week, when Chris Bryant declared the LibLabCon panelists to be identical, even in appearance.
November 8, 2013
I doubt that if the UK leaves the EU Nissan will build more car factories in the UK, mainly because if they build them in the EU they can supply the EU without having to pay any EU tariffs (if China and the USA have tariffs on their goods despite selling more goods to the EU than the UK this indicated that the UK will not be able to avoid these tariffs).
Any savings from cuts in regulatory costs will have to be weighed up against any increased costs from tariffs. It would be interesting to know just what level of regulatory cuts would need to be made to equalise any additional costs from tariffs.
November 8, 2013
Stop banging on about tariffs. As everybody knows, the EU sells to us far more than we do to them. Tariffs work both ways. But, there wouldn’t be any anyway if we are members of the EEA.
I heard the interview this morning with Nissan which put more into his words than he actually said.
Anyway, it’s not really to do with business. Membership of the EU is a political question and about the sovereignty of the country. The Queen could do her bit too, but I won’t hold my breath.
November 8, 2013
Indeed Uni, you are beginning, at last, to think about what might happen after we break free.
November 8, 2013
There wont be any tariffs there are no tariffs on goods traded within the EEA which we could stay part of – try taking your blinkers off and do some basic research.
November 8, 2013
I note from todays published trade figures that we were in the red to the EU to the tune of over £6 Billions last month. Now Clegg has put about the figure of 3 million jobs to be lost, if we leave the EU. But we import more from the EU than we we Export to it, including Nissan cars. Therefore the EU stand to lose many more jobs than the UK, if we leave. If anybody is a scaremonger, it is he and the question must be asked “What’s in it for him”?
November 8, 2013
his EU Pension and future employment when he loses his seat in 2015
November 8, 2013
Not only that, but at 9.00 a.m.the “story” was juxtaposed with the vote in the Commons today about the referendum bill.
What puzzles me is not only why the BBC is against any criticism of Climate Change but also any discussion at all about the EU – even the EU people seem to be excluded.
Who actually makes these decisions? Is it really the Labour Party Controllers?
November 9, 2013
Well I think it is a sort of group think. A sort of Polly Toynbee, Shirley Williams, Lord Patton, David Cameron, Nick Clegg – arty, lawyery, liberal, comfortably well off, lefty group think.
Central beliefs are:
More EU is good, more government is good, scientist are bad (unless bought by the state sector), more regulation is good, more controls on landlords and employers are good, carbon is evil, the working class are evil (unless on benefits), more taxes are good, more state broadcasting is good, people thinking for themselves is not good.
Murdoch, Bush, Regan, Thatcher, Dr Beaching, cars and planes bad while Obama, Heath, Major, Bliar, Brown,Miliband, Betjeman, bikes, trains & trams and Cameron good.
November 8, 2013
Expect a lot more campaigning and scare stories by the BBC ahead of the in/out referendum.
I also think the Foreign Office needs to get a grip on what the BBC World Service is up to. The (biased material ed) is making us look stupid abroad.
Also, the F.O. should also check out what is happening with BBC Media Action. On its website it states:
BBC Media Action is using media and communication to provide access to information and create platforms to enable some of the poorest people in the world to take part in community life, and to hold those in power accountable. A focus on programming that directly engages people in debate and discussion also encourages communication across political, ethnic, religious and other divides in society.
Both the world service and BBC Media action are attempting to spread (their own views ed) around the world.
Last year BBC Media Action received £4.5 million from the eu.
With this and the Nissan story, the whole thing stinks.
November 8, 2013
Brilliant statistics lecture on BBC2 Nov 7th by a prof Hans Rosling ,on population growth/ climate change/ wealth poverty.
November 10, 2013
Indeed good and uplifting statistics, but they could have been presented in a less juvenile manner perhaps, and in 5 minutes rather than stretched to 30 minutes. Then he could have said rather more in the other 25 thus released that would have been more interesting too.
Why does the BBC think everyone is about as clever as a rather dim 7 years old.
November 8, 2013
How true it is a sad that the majority of the people and politicians fail to see this obvious truth and believe the scaremongering of the europhiles.
November 8, 2013
Time the BBC was put on notice.
I am forced to pay for having a TV whether I watch BBC or not.
I have to pay additionally via the goods I buy or the service I watch for other than the BBC channels.
I object to being taken for granted by the BBC who only see me as a cash cow.
Ed Miliband, pounding ahead as he is with his Marxist, anti Capitalist, agenda must be ‘over the moon’ to know he has the BBC on board!
Time for Mr Cameron to stop playing politics and get real!!
November 9, 2013
Only is you watch live TV just watch it later.
November 8, 2013
There is also the matter of the pro mass immigration bias in audiences on BBC’s Question Time.
If this enthusiasm were a true and overwhelming representation of public opinion then why isn’t mass immigration included as a flagship policy in all party manifestos ?
Parties (wisely) appear to take a ‘tough’ stance on mass immigration realising that it is a vote winner and that reality, as regards public opinion, is very different to BBC fantasy whatever they try to tell us.
November 8, 2013
The Nissan factories might be a price many would consider worth paying were their closure to avoid the consequences of (current EU policies ed) that is about to hit us – according to tabloids.
The PM seems rather ‘chillaxed’ about it all though.
November 8, 2013
The interviewer I heard this morning did not word the questions in an anti European way this is true. He was confrontational to John Mills of Business for Britain and MP’s fighting for a referendum in law of Britains membership of the EU. Which get much of it support from the Euro sceptic elements of the business community though not necessarily wanting to leave. Mills is one of labours biggest donors in fact. Unfortunately for anti BBC fantasists and Mr Redwood we now have BBC iplayer and a few seconds later I can hear it again. Begins at 1.13.25 on the Today Programme 08/11/13. Here it is.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03ggllt/Today_08_11_2013/
The main point was would there be any new investment by Nissan should Britain leave the EU? Future investment. The Holy Grail. As you all well know.
If you want to live by the sword then you should die by the sword John and the thick anti BBC bigoted fantasists too. What else can we find to contradict North Koreans and their right wing communism?
Ram it.
Reply Listen to the news bulletin take on the interview.
November 8, 2013
If we left the EU tomorrow it as I understand it is not the same as leaving the EEA. This alone gives the UK the EU free trade protection so the BBC as usual is being disingenuous here
November 9, 2013
Nissan have previous on propagandising for the political class.
Not just that they have long made the exact same promise of “considering their position” if Britain didn’t join the euro.
(Two allegations removed as I can find no evidence for them ed)
November 9, 2013
As Nissan is partially owned and largely controlled by a French-government-owned car company we can certainly expect them to de-emphasise their support for Sunderland in the event of our leaving the EU.
That is not a reason for staying but it does point up that both the opportunities and the risks will be greater if we leave.
November 9, 2013
The French government has a 15.7% share of Renault issued capital; Renault has a 44.3% share of Nissan whilst Nissan has a 15% share of Renault; in other words, the French government does not have majority control of Renault, nor Renault of Nissan. The Renault-Nissan Alliance, which owns the Sunderland plant, was split 50-50% between Nissan and Renault until a 3.1% cross shareholding with Daimler was created. I doubt that would affect the management of the Sunderland plant however because that cross-shareholding relates to the sharing of technology therefore any decision affecting Sunderland would need unanimity between Renault and Nissan. The Renault-Nissan Alliance is a commercial undertaking, not a crackpot political endeavour so any decisions on the Sunderland plant likely will be decided for commercial reasons.