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Car manufacturers BMW and Ford have warned the UK against leaving the European Union.
Two of the UK’s leading car manufacturers, BMW and Ford, have warned Prime Minister David Cameron that the consequences of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union would be “devastating”.
Stephen Odell, Ford’s chief executive in Europe, argued that all “countries should have their sovereignty, but don’t discuss leaving a trading partner where 50pc of your exports go” which “would be devastating for the UK economy”.
BMW’s head of global sales, Ian Robertson, stated that the “UK not only has to be part of Europe. It has to be a fundamentally active part of Europe”. Mr Robertson further argued that to “think about the UK being outside of Europe doesn’t make sense”.
Raising concern about the manufacturing sector post an EU exit Mr Robertson said the “thought of a UK outside of Europe with different trade agreements – sorry, it’s not the way forward” before adding that “around the world, the biggest global trading blocs are getting bigger and we need to be part of one of them”.
The support for the UK’s membership of the EU comes ahead of a postponed speech on Europe by the Prime Minister. Postponed due to terrorist activities in Mali, Mr Cameron is expected to argue for the UK’s continued membership of the EU but to call for fundamental reforms to its structure and processes.
BMW’s and Ford’s support for the EU follows a letter signed by sir Richard Branson and Sir Martin Sorrell supporting the UK’s EU membership and an senior executive from rival manufacturer Honda arguing that leaving the EU would damage the UK’s position as a global car export hub.
The UK’s car manufacturing sector recently became a net exporter and reached an all-time high in 2012, with 83% of cars made in the UK being sold abroad. Commenting on the sector Paul Everitt, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers, said that “the outlook for 2013 remains positive with demand in many faster growing global markets offsetting the continued weakness in European economies”.
BMW’s statement follows Nigel Farage, leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), arguing that “BMW would still want to sell their cars in the UK “even if the nation left the EU.
Ford a company that’s losing billions in Europe a company we should all want to listen to?
Ford a company that has pulled the plug on car assembly in the United Kindom?
Fords biggest market in Europe is the United Kingdom.
Ford have not produced a single car in the United Kindom since 2000
Ford has United Kingdom interests at heart that’s why they pulled the plug on the Transit production line this year.
So Ford no longer produced a car in the United Kingdom, it used to employ 55,000 in the UK at its Dagenham plant, today it employs just over 1,000 there, Ford have absolutely no interest in the UK at all, their actions of destroying British jobs is the worst on record.