Autocar: UK Gov is Killing Car Industry

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

Autocar magazine has suddenly woken-up to the threat to UK jobs posed by the Government's new CO2-based car taxes. And boy are they miffed! After listing the auto industry's contribution to the island nation's economy– 800k employees, £200b turnover– Julian Rendell lets 'em have it with half a barrel: "And yet the government's policies could be putting that business, and those jobs, in increasing jeopardy." [emphasis added]. Ya think? CO2- belching Bentley, Land Rover, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Lotus all call Britain home. Instead of bringing out the big guns to attack the anti-car jihad– union leaders, car makers' reps, opposition politicians, analysts– Autocar picks up the cudgel on behalf of the working stiff. "Those who govern our country are making cars prohibitively costly to buy and to own, and by doing so they've giving the ordinary people who make, sell, service and repair those vehicles real concern for their jobs and their futures." That said, the guys on the line really know their onions. “I feel the government’s policies are clearly anti-car,” said Craig Caves, line manager at Ford of Britain’s Dagenham Diesel Centre. “On a daily basis they are producing an anti-car mentality that can only threaten jobs in the car industry. And it’s not just us at risk; it’s all the people supplying us and the people local to the plant.” News flash: the time to bring-up this issue was five years ago. At least.

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • Mj0lnir Mj0lnir on May 28, 2008
    KatiePuckrik : Detroit aren’t being taxed out of existence. They made their own mistakes and now it’s biting them in the jacksie. What difference does it make what combination of regulation and customer satisfaction caused the problem? Either it's bad for local industrial firms to fail, or it isn't. Which perspective do you take? KatiePuckrik : Jaguar, Land Rover, Lotus, Rolls Royce and Bentley are in brackets which are (by definition) gas-guzzlers. That’s their raison d’etre they don’t have a mass produced model to fall back on. Did you just tell me that firms made bad decision about product? Did you just say that several british manufacturers locked themselves into a business model that is unsustainable when gas prices increase radically? Did you just tell me that it's not an auto manufacturers responsibility to make strategic decisions that take market and regulatory changes into account? Because if you did, and you don't think it's acceptable for those firms to close their doors, then why is it okay for GM to go bankrupt? It's okay for Bentley to fail to recognize that gas wouldn't always be $1.25/gallon and that there wouldn't always be another internet mogul in the showroom but GM should reap the "rewards" of the same thought process? Why is it a legitimate national concern if Aston Martin closes it's doors due to bad planning and limited product development, but TTAC posters are giddy with joy at the thought of a far larger american manufacturer going chapter 11? If it doesn't matter what company americans buy family sedans from, why are TTAC posters discussing what firms britons will buy luxury coupes from? If 2+2=4 in America, it should probably equal four in Britain as well, and vice versa. If the failure of manufacturing firms based in Britain are a problem for the british economy, it's probably a problem here too. If it's not a problem here, then it shouldn't matter to brits who they buy $150,000 sports cars and $300,000 sedans from any more than it matters who we buy $20,000 commuters from.
  • BostonTeaParty BostonTeaParty on May 28, 2008

    I'll add to DRBrians point of a poodle government with no backbone to stand up for what is right i.e. a false war that the country never wanted to be in. one where taxes have increased exponentially through stealth and other means the fiasco that became more important that was "spin" in the current government. better to release bad news about the government on a day when the news is covering the death of a national icon. people emigrating at an all time high, political correctness that has got out of control and ruined the nation. the general living standard that has decreased. confidence in the country and economy that is at an all time low could go on and on, about how labour has helped bring down a once great country. so yeah i don't see how it could get worse, bring back the tories, god bless margaret thatcher, even on a cold day!!

  • Driving course Driving course on May 28, 2008

    The Italians have a saying about politicians - 'politicians are like nappies, they begin to stink if you don't change them often enough'. There's no doubt in my mind that Brown is a useless .... and I think Cameron would do much better; but, after a term or two we should go back to Labour; as long as Brown has gone.

  • Phil Ressler Phil Ressler on May 29, 2008

    Mj0lnir- I could get into it, but...yup. Phil

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