Vauxhall joins BMW, JLR and Honda in factory shutdowns for Brexit
Around 1,100 workers at Ellesmere Port plant forced to take leave as production paused
Vauxhall has temporarily closing its production facility at Ellesmere Port in a bid to minimise the impact of a possible no-deal Brexit.
The British marque planned the shutdown of the Cheshire plant “several months ago” in the expectation that the UK would leave the European Union on 29 March, Auto Express reports.
Although Brexit has now been delayed, the company has to go ahead with the closure having already “granted holiday for its staff and hired contractors to carry out maintenance work during the downtime”, the motoring magazine says.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The facility will remain closed for three weeks, forcing around 1,100 employees to take leave from their positions.
Production has also been halted at the company’s facility in Luton, in order to install factory upgrades as part of a £100m investment project.
Vauxhall isn’t the only carmaker to temporarily close its factory over Brexit fears.
BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Honda have “all faced the same situation”, leaving them with “idle factories at a time they would ideally be making vehicles to export while the UK enjoys unfettered access to Europe”, says the Financial Times.
The stoppages are yet another sign that Brexit “risks causing serious disruption” for carmakers operating in the UK, the newspaper adds. Some companies are stockpiling parts in a bid to minimise the anticipated disruption resulting from extra border checks with Europe.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Man United finally lost patience with ten Hag
Talking Point After another loss United sacked ten Hag in hopes of success in the Champion's League
By The Week UK Published
-
Who are the markets backing in the US election?
Talking Point Speculators are piling in on the Trump trade. A Harris victory would come as a surprise
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 3, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Britain about to 'boil over'?
Today's Big Question A message shared across far-right groups listed more than 30 potential targets for violence in the UK today
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
UK's Starmer slams 'far-right thuggery' at riots
Speed Read The anti-immigrant violence was spurred by false rumors that the suspect in the Southport knife attack was an immigrant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The Tamils stranded on 'secretive' British island in Indian Ocean
Under the Radar Migrants 'unlawfully detained' since 2021 shipwreck on UK-controlled Diego Garcia, site of important US military base
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Britain's Labour Party wins in a landslide
Speed Read The Conservatives were unseated after 14 years of rule
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Will voter apathy and low turnout blight the election?
Today's Big Question Belief that result is 'foregone conclusion', or that politicians can't be trusted, could exacerbate long-term turnout decline
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published