EuroTrash

No doubt there were many factors in Honda's decision, but to me all this mobility underlines how global the world of entreprise has become over the last few generations, and what folly it is for a country to marginalise itself unless it has something unique to offer. Big business comes and goes, Honda would have moved out of the UK at some point anyway, for the reasons stated above, but the secret is to keep yourself attractive to business so that there is a flow of companies moving in as well as moving out. The UK's big attraction was its reputation as the most business-friendly country in the EU, with its low corporate taxes, easy to hire and fire etc. I'm finding it hard to see what the UK's big attraction is going to be once it's out of the EU, because on a global scale it can't compete with low cost economies so what will its USP be?
I have a dim recollection of driving past the Honda plant in question, and being awed by how far it stretched - you drive for miles and miles and all you see is signs for Honda Gate A, B, C / 1, 2, 3 etc, it seems neverending. In my memory it was bigger than the average French town. The image of such a vast industrial space abandoned and deserted like a ghost town is the stuff nightmares are made on.

Novocastrian

Fifth largest today (in terms of GDP) but only 9th in terms of GDP/head and in terms of manufacturing output (which includes Japanese owned car makers). Next year after a potential Brexit undoubtably lower. Why would they put up with British exceptionalism and arrogance for chump change?

EuroTrash

Yes it's a kind of circular argument isn't it. The Japanese have shrewd business heads and I'm sure the irony of the prospect of negotiating a trade deal with an economy that owes much of its strength to Japanese manufacturing, hasn't escaped them. Another little test for the UK's top negotiating skills.

cyrian

I came across an article regarding the 2018 trade agreement between the EU and Mexico.
This is a comprehensive agreement including tariff-free trade; customs agreements; financial services and intellectual property (including geographical titles like "champagne") rights.
This was concluded with 2 years which shows that the EU can do it when it wants. - No need for a backstop???

Annetje

Apart from the DUP the Irish do no have a problem with the backstop. They actually want it as security.
One has to hope a FTA with EU will be done in 2 years but seeing this WA creeping on and on one has to

cyrian

Oh yes - and of course 430 MPs had a problem with it also.

petitefrancaise

Well, all sorted then.
The oiks that voted for Brexit get what they deserve and those that didn't have protected themselves. Karma's a bitch, right?
https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...t-deal-bankers

Tweedpipe

If one believes the media and news from the recent salon du vin at Paris, the B-word has many French winemakers trembling.

Annetje

Does this mean we have to drink more to offset the loss of business ?

Tweedpipe

If it's anything like some of the expats I know, they won't need much additional encouragement to drink more wine.

Annetje

AND with a surplus in stock, the price should come down ... double whammy !

BritInParis

It's one car company - Honda - which would've left the UK regardless of the referendum result as previously explained. Whilst everyone was distracted by that red herring Toyota commenced production of its new model of Corolla - the world's best selling car - in Derbyshire after a £240 million investment last year.

Care to name these tech companies? A little one called Google seems to be quite keen to continue its expansion in the UK, "despite Brexit" of course.


Which has nothing to do with the French and German governments being its majority shareholders of course. Or the millions it receives each year from the EU.

BritInParis

What does UK GDP per capita or manufacturing output got to do with making Britain an attractive market for selling cars or anything else? The UK was the seventh largest market for new registrations in the world last year - 2.37 million - in spite of a 7% drop thanks to the diesel scandal fallout. Hardly 'chump change'.

BritInParis

And if Simon Jenkins says it, it must be true

petitefrancaise

Your google link to a google product is not JOBS for UK. It's a google product.
I need to be slightly careful to ensure information is available in the public domain. You will notices the numbers of jobs are in the thousands and the words EMEA HQ feature. So, let's start here and these are just the ones that I can bring to mind in 2minutes....FB, Indeed, Google and Apple.
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/...mpus-1.3765257

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/...kers-1.3532264

https://appleinsider.com/articles/18...oubled-in-size

https://www.idaireland.com/newsroom/...newest-offices