The Business Secretary is facing accusations of failing to fully engage with Vauxhall’s parent company Stellantis ahead of its decision to close the van-making plant in Luton—a move that puts up to 1,100 jobs at risk.
Critics claim the Government neglected to maintain meaningful dialogue for months despite an early warning of potential closure.
Stellantis, which owns the Vauxhall brand, announced last month that it would consolidate its British operations at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, citing the UK’s stringent zero-emission vehicle quotas as a “significant factor” in its choice to close the Luton site. The news arrives against a backdrop of several major automotive plant closures over the past decade, raising fresh doubts about the future of car manufacturing in Britain.
Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, met Stellantis representatives on three occasions in July—shortly after Labour’s election victory—when the Government was first alerted to the company’s inclination towards a Luton shutdown. However, according to parliamentary records, no further ministerial meetings took place until 26 November, the same day that Stellantis publicly confirmed the closure plans.
Andrew Griffith, the Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade, who tabled the parliamentary question, criticised the gaps in engagement. “It’s clear the Government was not taking the issues at Luton seriously,” Griffith said. He added that the Chancellor’s recent budget, with its additional pressures such as the National Insurance rise, may have further complicated the environment for manufacturers.
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