Yes, it certainly wasn't the only factor - and possibly not even a major factor - but I'd be pretty confident it was a factor, which is all I said. The thing is, the polarisation of attitudes regarding Brexit is so complete that even a mild statement such as that is deemed outrageous by the Brextremists.
If they need more European capacity they would probably just expand their facilities in Belgium, which aren’t closing. The car industry is in big trouble worldwide, Brexit or no Brexit. Many more jobs will be lost due to collapse in demand for diesel and in China than through Brexit, though that will be a contributing factor in some cases. All of these manufacturers seem to have got their strategic planning very wrong indeed.
It's been the demonizing of diesel in the past couple of years in particular that has wrong-footed most manufacturers. Some local councils in London are already operating two-tier pricing for parking and permits yet the Euro 6 diesels are actually cleaner than many petrol models. Once the bandwagon starts rolling it becomes unstoppable...
The answer is almost certainly yes they would of, and have almost certainly been planning the move well before talks of Brexit
Tbh they mentioned this pre vote. The car industry has exacerbated this but now they have a free trade deal, its easier to move it back home where they are in control of more variables rather than investing a big wad of money into another European giant (see us) Its telling that they arent shutting down their motorcycle plant in belgium As for their statement, they are hardly going to alienate their uk market by giving us the big **** you brexiters in what they tell us
Absolutely, Stan, and fortunately we don't have all our eggs in the car manufacturing basket. The decision that Honda has made will apply to closure in Swindon in 3 years time. Quite apart from the points I have made to Strolls, if Brexit had been a material consideration for Honda, they would surely have waited 38 day to see what kind of Brexit is achieved. It's highly likely, deal or no deal, that something will be contrived between the UK and EU to arrive at a no tariff arrangement at least for an interim period. I understand this is possible within the favoured nation status rules of WTO. The Honda decision is not underpinned by the UK leaving the EU. Nothing points to it, and given that Honda will get some criticism for the closures (after past assurances), I'd say they'd have loved to blame Brexit if there was a connection
So far as I'm aware, the motorbike industry isn't facing the current diesel/ electric crisis. If Brexit had been a factor, no one in the UK would have blamed them if they had pointed this out. But it wasn't and they can't. Indeed, as I've said to Stan, they'd love to have had that excuse because they will come in for criticism for the Swindon closures and move back to Japan
This is what they were saying in September......... The senior vice president of Honda Europe has warned that a no-deal Brexit would cost his company tens of millions of pounds. Ian Howells told the BBC that quitting the bloc without an agreement would affect the carmaker's competitiveness in Europe. He said the Japanese firm was preparing for a no-deal outcome but had not discussed relocating its Swindon plant. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45558424 I'd say that the increased likelihood of a No-Deal exit has been at least a factor in this decision.
Bit different to alienating Swindon than 17m brexiteers. I guess we will never know but they sure timed this for full effect
That report from 6 months ago seems to contradict today’s statement a fair bit then. Hard to know which ‘Honda’ to believe.
That was confirmed today by a spokesman. However the remoaners won't accept it. It's Brexit fault cry cry cry!
There was barely an industry in the land that didn't warn that do deal could be bad for their industry. They don't like change, they like certainty which is not unreasonable. And they project forward on a worse case basis
I struggle to believe that less than 6 months ago Honda ‘had not discussed relocating its Swindon plant’....to then making this announcement today. Smacks of downright lies to me, but I guess that should be expected from their kind.
I just read a tweet from the big Honda boss in Japan who says it has nothing to do with Brexit. Let the remoaners believe their projecting any excuse crap. I would rather believe the CEO than someone on social media
Yes, I suspect it's been in their minds for some time. The government needs to give whatever incentives it can to overseas car manufacturers with plants in the UK, to move to electric or hybrid. London roads could find themselves all electric within a short space of time. Outside London, manufacturers need to produce an electric car that does more mileage to the charge, and charges much faster
Well maybe the statement of 6 months ago was a warning against No Deal, without actually threatening - or seriously considering - to leave, (because that would just have been dismissed as Project Fear, obvs). Perhaps now they think 'these ****ers might just be crazy/incompetent enough to let it happen', and have decided to just leave us to it. Who knows?
