Scottish Daily Mail

Day 1: BMW manager says UK plants will shut after Brexit. Day 2: Boss says, no they won’t

- By James Salmon Transport Editor

BMW last night gave a resounding vote of confidence in Brexit Britain as it signalled its longterm commitment to the UK.

The German car giant rubbished claims that it would be forced to shut plants in Britain if we leave the customs union without a deal.

It insisted the comments, made by its UK customs manager and reported in the Financial Times, had been ‘taken out of context’.

Stressing that Britain is the ‘home’ of Rolls-Royce and Mini and BMW’s fourth biggest global market, it said closing any of its factories is not an option.

As the UK car industry lobby group was last night accused of ‘reigniting Project Fear’, BMW struck a more measured tone.

Dr Ian Robertson, BMW’s special representa­tive in the UK, said his company was concerned about extra costs that would be incurred if every lorry bringing components to its factories from the continent has to be checked by customs officials. With a Mini rolling off its production line in Oxford every 67 seconds, Dr Robertson said this would pose a major challenge – but one that it will be able to overcome.

He said leaving the customs union might mean we ‘may have to spend more money we don’t want to’ on warehouses to stockpile parts and in creating new customs systems.

But asked whether BMW would consider moving investment out of Britain if the country leaves the customs union and the single market, he said: ‘We are not considerin­g that as an option.

‘We are considerin­g what we would need to have in place to overcome such impediment­s to border fluidity. That’s where we are focused right now.’

Describing his pride at BMW’s achievemen­ts in the UK, Dr Robertson said: ‘I would hate, both personally and profession­ally, if it was knocked off course because of some changes in the political environmen­t.’

But he added: ‘Knocking off course does not mean a complete U-turn.’ It has invested about £2billion in its four plants in the UK since 2000 and BMW points out Britain is the country in the world where it manufactur­es all three of its brands – BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce. The firm has also committed to build the new electric Mini at its plant in Cowley, Oxford, underlinin­g its long term investment in the UK.

Dr Robertson said: ‘Britain is the fourth biggest market in world for us. It is also the home of Mini and Rolls-Royce.

‘We are committed to our investment here and the 8,000 people we employ.’ The assurances from the German giant come after a string of foreign-owned car makers including Japan’s Nissan and Toyota, and Vauxhall owner PSA Group, announced plans to build new models in the UK. It contrasts with dire warnings from the The Society of Motor Manufactur­ers and Traders that manufactur­ers in Britain could suffer a ‘death by a thousand cuts’ outside the EU.

‘I would hate to be knocked off course’

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