Nissan site protest over no-deal Brexit

A protest will be held outside Nissan’s Washington plant, calling on the Government to reject a no-deal Brexit.

Concerned residents from across the North East are set to hold the sociallydistanced protest at Nissan’s Wearside facility next week, urgingministerstoreject a no-deal departure.

The event is to take place at 10am on Monday with protesters bringing cardboard “bodies” to represent potential losses to the supply chain, should the Government fail to reach a deal before the end of the Brexit transition period.

The group believes that a no-deal Brexit will damage the region’s economy, highlighting that bosses at Nissan have previously said the Sunderland plant would not besustainablewithoutadeal.

Louise Brown, protest spokeswoman, said: “Now that the Government have refused to extend the transition period, a no-deal Brexit has become increasingly more likely.

“As we highlighted at protests last month, the North East stands to be the worst affected by a no-deal Brexit. "Nissan has said that the plant in Sunderland will not be sustainable in the event of a nodeal Brexit.”

As well as fears over the plant in Washington, the grouphasraisedconcerns about the impact on local supply chains to it.

Louiseadded:"Inaddition to the 7,000 jobs that would go at the actual plant, there wouldalsobethelossofthousands of jobs connected to it within the supply chain.”

The announcement comes days after Nissan workers held their own protest at the plant over proposed changes to the company’s pension scheme.