"UK economy shrinks after Brexit car factory shutdowns"
This indicates the vulnerability of the UK economy to Brexit
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jun/10/uk-economy-brexit-car-shutdowns-bmw-peugeot-gdp
Vehicle output falls by 24% as firms including BMW and Peugeot pause production
The British economy shrank in April amid a dramatic decline in car production ahead of the original Brexit deadline, according to official figures.
According to the Office for National Statisticss^, gross domestic product (GDP) plunged by 0.4% in April from a month earlier
as factories across the country launched a wave of planned shutdowns to avoid any disruption that could have been unleashed by a no-deal Brexit.
Britain’s manufacturers planned around leaving the EU on 29 March as Theresa May took the country to the brink of leaving without a deal, before agreeing an extension until 12 April and then delaying the process until the end of October.
....
While economic growth had strengthened as factories rushed to stockpile materials ahead of the deadline, the latest snapshot from the economy shows that production slumped after the target date passed.
Rob Kent-Smith, the head of GDP at the government statistics agency, said the decline was caused by falling car production amid the uncertainty over leaving the EU.
“There was also widespread weakness across manufacturing in April, as the boost from the early completion of orders ahead of the UK’s original EU departure date has faded,” he said.
Manufacturing output across the country dropped by 3.9% on the month, driven by car production plunging by 24%.
It comes after stronger growth in manufacturing in February and March, before falling back after the early completion of orders was not replaced
and factories were closed to protect against potential Brexit disruption.
.....
several firms said they would temporarily halt activity due to Brexit,
while some said they would ultimately close factories altogether, with thousands of job losses.