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On the road to ruin

I WORKED in the automotive supply industry on and off for 30 years. It has taken the same 30 years to build up a decent car manufacturing industry from the ruins of British Leyland.

The alarming and frankly blasé way that Brexit discussions are heading, suggest it may take a much lesser period to destroy it.

The crankshaft of a BMW mini crosses the English Channel three times. Cast in France, it is machined in Warwickshire and then shipped to Munich where the engine is assembled then comes back as part of the engine to be fitted into the vehicle at Cowley.

When it is then exported to Europe, as most are, it crosses the channel a fourth time.

It will not have escaped anyone’s notice that, apart from the tiny Morgan and Aston Martin brands, all the volume industry is owned by overseas companies and investors who owe not one scrap of allegiance to GB Ltd.

In the case of Honda, Toyota and Nissan, they settled here ONLY to access the European market.

Their leaders have been scathing in private about the negotiating fiasco now under way and have already savagely cut investment as a result.

And not only tariffs will spell doom. Paperwork delays at ports will potentially wreck the delicate JIT logistics architecture.

Nissan in Sunderland produce two vehicles a minute and use upwards of five million components a day on its production line. The programme is based on JIT parts not stored in its warehouses. They go straight in containers from lorry to line side.

They have to avoid congestion and arrive hours or minutes before they are required. Vehicles have a very small window to get in and out. Even trivial delays will likely prove catastrophic.

And there is yet another problem. As only 41 per cent of what goes in to vehicles assembled here is sourced on the UK mainland, in future this will not be adequate for the so-called new trade deals to qualify under rules of origin as today’s EU integrated manufacturing can.

This will limit the likes of JLR for example to export tariff-free to Korea, which demands 55 per cent minimum local sourcing to qualify as free trade… a clear additional incentive to drive consolidation back inside the EU area.

It won’t happen overnight, but do you really think that if BMW put the new ‘electric Mini’ in the Czech Republic or Romania, that they will trundle body shells all the way from Bridge End Road? Think about it.

The potential loss of thousands of high-paid automotive jobs, £55bn in turnover of which £12bn is added value for the UK and 1.7 million vehicles annually produced with 80 per cent exported, mostly to Europe.

The risk to all this may be “a price worth paying” by Messrs Morgan, Williams, Kane and others “to get our country back.”

I think its unadulterated insanity.

JOHN STOOKE, Haydon End, Swindon

Stranger danger, really?

ON WEDNESDAY, August 2, my wife and I joined a a coach trip to Weston-super-Mare. I was in the queue to be served in a shop and a little lad queuing with his mother, smiled at me and showed me the DVDs he had in his little bag.

I made the comment, “You are very lucky, will you watch those when you get home?”

I was a little surprised when the mother, without turning round, encircled the boy’s shoulders and pulled him in front of her.

I remarked: “Isn’t it a shame that parents omit to teach their young ones the social skills required when spoken to by strangers in the safe confines of a well attended shop.”

I did not receive any reply. I decided to reiterate my thoughts by saying,: “I wonder if your lad will grow up with the inconceivable thought that all ‘strangers’ are to be ignored?” Again, no response.

What is that drives parents to show their children how to ignore a well-meaning stranger and bring them up with this type of attitude?

Children seem to be overprotected these days in so many ways and are unable to recognise the trust and protective nature of many strangers.

Yes, there are some issues we need to make children aware of, but let us not forget that the majority of strangers love the interaction with the child that stares at you on the bus, asks you, “Where has your hair gone?” or tells you: “My grandad has white hair and a walking stick.”

Such a shame when one smiles at a child and the child turns away towards the parent, causing the parent to look back with disdain.

CHRIS GLEED, Proud Close, Purton

Walk to beat cancer

EVERY year, 41,200 people in the UK are diagnosed with bowel cancer, including my mother.

Luckily it was spotted early when survival rates are higher and she has now recovered from the disease.

Physical activity plays an important part in stacking the odds against a bowel cancer diagnosis and as a keen walker myself, I’m delighted to support Bowel Cancer UK’s Walk Together.

Walk Together is a sponsored five-mile walk to bring people together so that they can show their support for those undergoing treatment, remember loved ones we have lost and raise funds to help stop bowel cancer. It’s for people of all ages and abilities.

Sign up to Walk Together in London on Saturday, September 23, or to receive a fundraising pack with everything you need to hold your own memorable walk. Visit bowelcanceruk.org.uk/walktogether

JULIA BRADBURY, TV presenter and Bowel Cancer UK patron

Council is the problem

IS COUN Holland having a laugh? In his column he pretends concern for local taxpayers who find meeting council tax bills difficult.

This is a member of the governing party that increased taxes to the limit then added parishes and accepted a massively above inflation expenses increase.

Do you not see Coun Holland that you are the cause not the cure?

GUY GREEN, Old Town, Swindon