Honda set to close UK car plant with the loss of 3,500 jobs
Two weeks ago rival Japanese carmaker Nissan cancelled plans to build its X-Trail sport utility vehicle in Britain
London — Japanese carmaker Honda is set to announce the closure of its only British car plant in 2022 with the loss of 3,500 jobs in the latest blow to the UK car industry as Brexit approaches. Honda built just more than 160,000 vehicles at its Swindon factory in southern Britain in 2018, where it makes the Civic and CV-R models, accounting for a little more than 10% of Britain’s total output of 1.52-million cars. But it has struggled in Europe in recent years, and the industry faces a number of challenges including declining diesel demand and tougher regulations alongside the uncertainty over Britain’s departure from the European Union, due next month. Justin Tomlinson, a Conservative MP for Swindon who voted for Brexit in 2016, said he had met with the business minister and representatives from Honda who had confirmed the plans. “They were due to make a statement on Tuesday morning, it’s obviously broken early,” Tomlinson, lawmaker for North Swindon, told Reuters. “This is not Bre...
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