Investment freeze threat

Theresa May should stand up to the warring factions in her party to avoid a job destroying hard Brexit, Unite said this week (October 16).

The call came ahead of a crunch 48 hours for Theresa May amid warnings from pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and the car maker Ford that investment would dry up in the event of a no deal Brexit.

Unite assistant general secretary for manufacturing Tony Burke said, “A hard Brexit would see the tap turned off on investment in new products and the UK lose its status as a global leader in pharmaceuticals and the car industry.

“With that investment would go good jobs which support communities and towns across the UK.

“As she heads to Brussels, Theresa May needs to set aside the self-interested political ambitions of those seeking to replace her and secure a deal that protects jobs and secures the tariff free access and the frictionless trade which UK manufacturers need to thrive.”

Warnings over the risk to industry from a hard Brexit continued to pour in this week, with AstraZeneca saying it would continue its UK investment freeze if a “transition deal does not make clear what will happen in the future”.

Meanwhile, Ford’s European boss Steven Armstrong told the BBC that a no deal Brexit “would be pretty disastrous” and could jeopardise the firm’s future in the UK.

Armstrong said a hard Brexit would “force (Ford) to think about what our future investment strategy for the UK would be” and that a Canada style deal with the EU would not be in the firm’s interests.

Unite backed Ford’s statement that a hard Brexit would be disastrous for British industry but said leaving the EU must not be used as a “smokescreen” to dismantle the firm’s UK operations.

Wales regional secretary Peter Hughes said, “Unite agrees with Steven Armstrong that a no deal Brexit would be a disastrous outcome for manufacturing and the UK economy.

“Our union has long been calling for a Brexit that secures barrier-free access to the Single Market and a customs union with the EU.

“We will not, however, allow Ford to use the thick fog of Brexit as a smokescreen to dismantle its UK operations.”

Hughes said the future of Ford Bridgend, in Wales, must not be viewed solely through the prism of Brexit.

He said, “Unite has been calling for clarity from Ford regarding its long term plans for the site pre-dating the Brexit referendum.

“The company should remember that its employees, and its customers, expect it to show them the loyalty they deserve, despite the uncertain times that lie ahead.”