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Original poster

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

456 replies

EddyF · 18/02/2019 19:07

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.

OP posts:
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themoomoo · 19/02/2019 08:41

Sorry peregrina I'm not following what you're saying!
I'm talking about honda saying it's nothing to do with brexit, I've not mentioned flybmi

Lexilooo · 19/02/2019 08:42

My friend (a remainer) works for another Japanese car manufacturer in the UK. Ahead of the referendum they were told several times by their employers that Brexit would mean job losses and probably closure of the plant. Yet still loads of his colleagues voted for Brexit and spout the rhetoric everyday. It is like turkeys voting for Christmas. My poor friend is at his wits end trying to deal with his colleagues while in fear for his livelihood.

Peregrina · 19/02/2019 08:44

Even Larry Elliot who is the Guardian's Leave champion, says that Brexit is a factor.

bellinisurge · 19/02/2019 08:47

I think what Honda and others are doing constitutes " a good day to bury bad news". There are no doubt a multitude of reasons for the proposed closure. Of which Brexit (and the change to make a difficult economic situation intolerable) is one.

Deadbudgie · 19/02/2019 08:47

I might be missing something but hasn’t the amazing EU just negotiated a 0%tarriff with Japan and therefore Japanese companies have no reason to split production between japan and the EU. It makes commercial sense to move all production to japan where overheads can be reduced and cars shipped into the EU without import duty.

bellinisurge · 19/02/2019 08:49

Of course not @Deadbudgie . That's a Brexit koinkidink and not a factor. WinkConfused. Lots of Brexit koinkidinks at the moment.

surferjet · 19/02/2019 08:50

Caucasianchalkcircles

I do not ‘pile in on brexit threads’ I’ve hidden the Brexit board!
But if people choose to post out of their designated area then I’ll see the threads.

& me lacking in compassion? Have you read some of the comments from remainers on this thread? They’re revolting quite honestly - but you ignore those because Swindon deserves all it gets for voting leave.

Helmetbymidnight · 19/02/2019 08:50

It certainly makes commercial sense to move production out of an economically unstable third party where an incredible 10 % tarriffs would be imposed in the event of no deal.

bellinisurge · 19/02/2019 08:51

Yes surferjet, all those condolences I read on MN yesterday when the news broke were a figment of my imagination. Maybe look at those threads you claim to have hidden.

Imnotswallowingthat · 19/02/2019 08:52

Question for those blaming Brexit for Honda's decision to close the Swindon plant - what is the reason they are also closing their manufacturing facility in Turkey ? That's Turkey who are in a customs union with the EU which allows tariff free exports to the EU for Honda....

bellinisurge · 19/02/2019 08:55

Why not have the supply chain closer to home and export to E.U. that way.

Helmetbymidnight · 19/02/2019 08:58

i dont think anyone would claim its 100% of the reason theyre going, do you?

but it looks like britain wont have trade deals anymore - our ministers have said 'fuck business'- we're making it clear by our actions we're not open for business.

all car manufacturers dont want brexit. the japanese in particular advised against it.

Teateaandmoretea · 19/02/2019 09:04

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.

I am actually getting really sick tbh of places being labelled as 'brexit-voting' or 'remain-voting' when the reality in every town and city in the country has both remain voters and brexit voters within a band of 40-60% ish. It matters not a jot anyway because we voted as a country. Anyone who voted remain is unlikely to be that happy but the fact that the town I live in voted remain as a statistic doesnt make me somehow morally superior to someone who lives in Swindon.

It feels like an excuse to apply nasty stereotypes to different places, often places that are more disadvantaged in some kind of 'divide and conquer'. Really unpleasant I think.

Deadbudgie · 19/02/2019 09:05

Imnotswallowingthat please stop asking difficult questions that cannot be answered by “brexiteers are stupid/racist” please stop pointing out Brexit is not the axis of all evil/business decisions. Thank you

CoolJule43 · 19/02/2019 09:08

It has nothing to do with Brexit. Production will cease when the Honda Civic is next due to be updated in 2021. At this point they will cease to make Honda Civic diesel version which is what is made at Swindon. This also affects Turkey.

It is being done for environmental reasons as it will be replaced with an electric version which will be made, as I understand, in Japan and USA.

Why on earth do some people just not accept info they are given? Not everything is fake news.

It is very sad though for the people of Swindon.

Random18 · 19/02/2019 09:12

@surferjet

Of course most of those who voted remain will stay here.
It’s our home, it’s all most of us have ever known and we love our country.

I will still be here in 10 / 20 years time dealing with the consequences of this shit.

pinkstripeycat · 19/02/2019 09:18

I know people voted to leave for different reasons but the ones who were hoping to stop so many new people (illegals) entering the UK didn’t think about the affect it would have on those already living here with families. It certainly wouldn’t occur to me that people would be “kicked out” so to speak.

Peregrina · 19/02/2019 09:21

But people coming from the EU weren't 'illegal'. Nor were the Windrush generation and most of us hadn't realised how they were being treated either.

ContinuityError · 19/02/2019 09:25

At this point they will cease to make Honda Civic diesel version which is what is made at Swindon. This also affects Turkey.

Swindon builds both petrol and diesel Civics - over 60% of Civics sold in the UK in 2017 were petrol models.

Rufusthebewilderedreindeer · 19/02/2019 09:31

*I know most remainers won’t leave the UK, even the extreme ones, because they know where they’re better off.

Im not leaving my country

Though i do think its interesting that when people were complaining about us being part of the EU that nobody was telling them if they didnt like it they should leave the country

Rufusthebewilderedreindeer · 19/02/2019 09:34

Although i do remember on one particularly heated thread that someone said that all the remain voters on the thread were obviously foreign

That was a funny one

Rufusthebewilderedreindeer · 19/02/2019 09:35

It is very sad though for the people of Swindon

It is cool

Deadbudgie · 19/02/2019 09:44

“This is not a Brexit issue for us...” states Honda who state they made the decision to move out the UK was related to international trade conditions.

“But you’re wrong” state the remainers of mumsnet “it’s obviously to do with Brexit, everything bad is because of Brexit, the racists who voted for Brexit are the reason for these job losses, the boss of Honda is lying no doubt in collusion with Brexiteers, they will stop at nothing, NOTHING I tell you!!!!!”

I’m really pleased the Honda boss has owned this. I suspect many business are going to be using the following

No pay rises- because of Brexit
Cut backs on training - because of Brexit
Job losses - because of bexit
Shot working conditions - because of Brexit
Price rises - because of bexit (bit like they happened everywhere when they introduced the euro to most countries and blames it on the cost of implementing the change)

No doubt some businesses will be affected by Brexit, I don’t think anyone is denying that, we are having a big shift. But I suspect that many more who will have had these issues anyway will be hiding behind the Brexit bad news mantra.

How many years after the economy picked up after the 2008/9 crash went on about it as a way to keep they employees in check and costs down?

MuseumofInnocence · 19/02/2019 09:56

Question for those blaming Brexit for Honda's decision to close the Swindon plant - what is the reason they are also closing their manufacturing facility in Turkey ? That's Turkey who are in a customs union with the EU which allows tariff free exports to the EU for Honda....

It is an interesting question, and I don't know the answer. I do know that while Turkey is in a customs union with the EU, the EU's free trade deals don't extend to Turkey, so Turkey doesn't have a free trade deal (currently) with Japan. Assuming access to the European Market and Japanese markets is key, then it would make sense to have your plant in the EU or Japan, so that could be the answer.

glueandstick · 19/02/2019 09:58

I think a lot of businesses are hesitant because of Brexit. Payrises and all the rest are very dependent on the economy and absolutely no one knows what the Jeff is going on - so yes it is related to Brexit. Who knows what the next 6months will be.

I do wryly smile when a Honda worker was asked why they voted leave and said ‘it’ll help U.K. manufacturing’

The town is in a terrible state and this isn’t going to help in the slightest.