The people of Swindon: do they regret voting for Brexit?

[EddyF]

With the closure of Honda - closing their Swindon plant, with the loss of 3,500 jobs, which the firm has attributed to Brexit, I wonder if the people of Swindon are having regrets since they were from the leave camp.

Reminds me of those who voted for Trump knowing his policies were targeted at them but felt they somehow were exempt. Like the Mexican man and his US wife voting for Trump then crying on the news he had been deported/couldn't get back in when he was out of the country.

I'm finding it really difficult sympathising with those who voted to leave by not looking at their own circumstances, but rather, other people. Majority of the people I have heard from who voted leave (from fb, and so on) they only cared about immigration. They thought leaving meant a 'clear up' taking hardly into account their own future and that of their children.

I'm sorry to the people in Swindon, but they did it to themselves.

And before people say "there wasn't enough information" there was enough to determine that we did not know what the 'deal' was.

I can't link article for Honda but it's everywhere on news sites.

I'm sure Nissan, Dyson, Flybmi, Panasonic, Sony, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, Phillips, Hitachi, Toshiba have said the same. It's all just coincidence

What about all the UK brands that have shut up shop and resulted in unemployment? Woolworths, House of Fraser, BHS etc - - why are the 'foreign' companies being plastered with the Brexit card, when they have their own reasons, but UK brands are just ignored

So how can it be Brexit?

It won’t be entirely due to Brexit but it will be a significant factor. Under Thatcher the UK promised it would be the bridge into Europe for Japanese manufacturers and now that’s gone - I would think failing to honour those commitments would also be factored in. Add in the EU-Japan FTA and there is no longer a requirement for Japanese manufacturers to have that UK presence any more.

It’s not like Honda UK hasn’t warned about the risk over the last 2.5 years.

The wonderful thing about being a Brexiteer ( I know this because my dad is one) is that you never have to admit you were wrong, whatever happens.

Spot on. Resentment is at the heart of the Brexit vote. But we do have to remember that the media label anywhere 50.0001% a "Leave town". Plenty of people voted Remain in these areas as well and are completely ignored by the news.

Reuters - Why did Dyson pick Singapore to build its electric car?

uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-dyson-singapore-explainer/why-did-dyson-pick-singapore-to-build-its-electric-car-idUKKCN1MY1EU

This version of the story is an official correction to change last section to reflect clarification by Singapore’s trade ministry that electric cars are covered under its free trade deal with China

EV sales in China are forecast to almost reach 700,000 vehicles this year - more than double the combined sales from the United States and Europe

China and Singapore upgraded their free trade agreement in November;
www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/singapore-china-sign-free-trade-agreement-upgrade-10922790

The EU doesn't have a free trade agreement with China.

Wow what a shitty thread!!!

I am really worried about these closures because my husband works in the car manufacturing industry and we have no idea what is going to happen. He has already had his hours cut. We live in an area that voted leave but we both voted remain. I fell sorry for those who didn’t vote for this but have to suffer the consequences anyway.

I think this bad mouthing of Swindon is truly unfair to the ones of us who live and were born here who didn’t vote to leave.

Honda has been struggling for a few years now and it’s been a long time coming but this is a sad day for us, a lot of jobs are going to be lost and a lot of families suffering.

Honda have been very specific in saying it is not due to brexit

No they haven’t as no official announcement has been made.

The Guardian is no fan of Brexit - even they published this;

Don't blame job losses at Jaguar Land Rover and Ford on Brexit

www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jan/10/dont-blame-job-losses-jaguar-land-rover-ford-brexit-four-issues-troubling-automotive-industry

I feel truly sorry for the workers.

It was however the greatest con trick ever pulled by dodgy politicians and businessmen. I just hope that in the remaining time before 29th March some of them can limit the damage.

I suspect this closure is a mixture of factors but I doubt Brexit or the chaos helped.

I wonder how many manufacturing jobs will have to be lost before certain people can bear to admit to themselves 'Brexit'.

The Guardian is no fan of Brexit - even they published this

No, but Larry Elliott is a Brexit fan.

I really hate the misinformation on both sides to fit political and personal agendas. Some people won’t accept that Brexit is causing problems. Others blame everything on Brexit, no matter that it had nothing to do with loss of jobs. There is zero respect for the truth or for other points of view in our discourse. I find it very depressing.

Jan 2019 Car giant Ford is set to axe thousands of jobs across Europe as it carries out a major shake-up of its operations

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-6577741/Ford-cut-thousands-jobs-Europe-seeks-cut-costs.html

It is not known precisely how many staff will lose their jobs, and while some of the 13,000 staff employed in the UK by the firm could be affected most of the cuts are expected to be made outside of Britain

Outside of the UK, production at the Ford Aquitaine Industries plant in Bordeaux, France, which manufactures small automatic transmissions, will end in August this year

The group added that 'formal discussions' had begun between Ford and its Works Council to end production of the C-MAX and Grand C-MAX at the Saarlouis Body and Assembly Plant in Germany as the compact MPV segment shrinks in Europe

Outside of Europe, the firm is also undertaking a 'strategic review' of Ford Sollers, its joint venture in Russia

When the Japanese first started setting up car plants in the UK, it was very much on the Japanese model. The UK plants were remote manufacturing satellites of the Japanese HQ, the management were all Japanese and their management style was autocratic. Components were imported from Japan and it was a long time before they started to source parts and components from the UK and Europe and the MD was not Japanese but a UK or European engineer, all due to the J-I-T expedient. Honda was quite typical. The egalitarian uniform and the boast from HR that they didn't have job descriptions and everyone knew their role. They paid young engineers very badly, but the quid pro quo was that they knew their training and the level of responsibility they took on made them very marketable to other automotive companies when they progressed onwards. It's no surprise that Honda have made a hard-headed and pragmatic decision. That's automotive!

@Skirmisher see guardian link. And flybmi have been averaging 18 passengers per flight for over 3 years. The saturated budget airlines are in trouble, with or without brexit.

@Bowchicawowow

I really hate the misinformation on both sides to fit political and personal agendas. Some people won’t accept that Brexit is causing problems. Others blame everything on Brexit, no matter that it had nothing to do with loss of jobs. There is zero respect for the truth or for other points of view in our discourse. I find it very depressing

Spot on

This is a horrible thread. I feel so sorry for anyone who feels their job is under threat tonight, whether they voted for brexit or not.

This whole thing is shit and we’re truly up the creek now.

Um, excuse me but my DH is a lorry driver for Honda in Swindon. We live in Cheltenham. We most certainly did not vote to leave the EU. We are passionate remainers. Let us not forget lots of people commute to Honda from Gloucester, Chelt and probably other towns too.

A big company like Honda would want a EU base and since we're not to be part of the EU, they want out.

How come they aren't moving the plant to another EU country then?

I'm sorry to the people in Swindon, but they did it to themselves.
But you aren't sorry, are you?, this Op is just nasty gloating.

I wonder if you feel the same about all the people who voted Tory in 2015 - without whom we'd have had no sodding referendum?

Discourse is just so nasty on this subject.

Not all people who voted for Brexit hate immigrants. Huge generalisations being made.

Indeed, it's the 99% who are racists that give the rest a bad name.

A vast number of people in Swindon actually voted Remain.

www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/16588222.brexit-opinion-poll-suggests-swindon-is-shifting-towards-remain-though-mps-disagree/

Sorry but this left behind stuff gets on my nerves ! Swaithes of rural and suburban South East/southern England voted leave... People who live in those affluent home counties towns with decent jobs and houses worth >500k because of their proximity to london. Even the north east leave voters were well paid and in relatively secure employment. Trouble is they're prosperous and thought they could afford to take the risk !