Jaguar Land Rover boss warns Brexit could close factories

Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Professor Ralf Speth, has stated that Britain’s move to cut itself free of the European Union could cost the company tens of thousands of jobs.

Speaking at the Zero Emission Vehicle Summit, Speth stated the so-called ‘Brexit’ decision will have an unprecedented impact on the company’s operations, and indicated it could potentially lead to Jaguar Land Rover shutting down its British operations.

“Brexit is due to happen on the 29th March next year. Currently I do not even know if any of our manufacturing facilities in the UK will be able to function on the 30th,” Speth was quoted by Reuters as saying.

“We will not be able to build cars if the motorway to and from Dover becomes a car park, where the vehicle carrying parts - vital to our processes - is stationary. Any friction at our borders puts our production in jeopardy - at a cost of £60 million (AUD $110 million) a day.

“Six months from Brexit and uncertainty means that many companies are being forced to make decisions about their businesses that will not be reversed, whatever the outcome, just to survive,” he said, sounding a warning that a decision over the future of the brand’s plants may be imminent.

“Jobs have been shed when they should have been created. A thousand lost as a result of diesel policy. Those numbers will be counted in the tens of thousands if we do not get the right Brexit deal.”

In his wide-ranging speech, Speth also called for the UK to look at alternatives to banning new diesel cars, such as getting old diesels off the road. He said that "tougher regulations and higher taxation” works as a disincentive for new, cleaner diesel technology, and that it has already seen JLR cut 1000 jobs at its Solihull plant.

What's your take on Brexit? Tell us what you think in the comments below.