News
Greg Evans
Oct 24, 2018
CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP/Twitter
Business and technology entrepreneur and Brexit supporter, Sir James Dyson, has confirmed that his forthcoming electric cars will be built in a new manufacturing facility.
In a beautiful bit of irony, this factory won't be in Britain. It won't even be in Europe. It's being built in Singapore, a decision based on the Asian nation's geographical location to "high growth markets".
Dyson, best known for their bag-less vacuum cleaners and hand dryers, has confirmed that the facility will be ready by 2020. Chief executive Jim Rowan said in a memo to staff:
Dyson's growing automotive team is making excellent progress from the state-of-the-art hangars at Hullavington Airfield in Wiltshire where we are investing £200m.
Clearly we now need to move quickly towards manufacturing and assembly.
The decision of where to make our car is complex, based on supply chains, access to markets, and the availability of the expertise that will help us achieve our ambitions.
Funny that there's no mention of Brexit in that statement, given that in the past, 71-year-old Dyson has said:
It will enable us to continue creating world class products and jobs.Â
We can make our own laws and determine our own future and determine our own trade deals with other countries throughout the world.
I think it is liberation and a wonderful opportunity for all of us.
That 'wonderful opportunity' obviously doesn't account for a £2bn plan to build Dyson's electric cars, and the British car manufacturing industry is hardly flourishing at the prospect of what Brexit might bring.
In the wake of the news that Dyson is upping sticks and moving his lucrative new venture to the other side of the world, while the rest of us sit here uncertain at what is going to happen after March 2019, people have been pointing out the obvious.
Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable has already criticised Dyson's decision:
It's strange Brexiteer James Dyson has so little faith in the prospect of the UK leaving the EU that he is manufacturing his electric cars in Asia.
It's not as if Singapore is even a low-cost location, but this is a sign of the spectre that Brexit has cast over the UK's business environment.
James O'Brien of LBC Radio also took aim at Dyson, pointing out a beneficial trade agreement that Singapore has just established with the European Union.
The New European threw a lot of shade on Dyson with their tweet.
Prominent British MPs and political figures who oppose Brexit have also spoken out.
People are also realising that they are now having to ask some big questions of themselves when it comes to using Dyson products.
There were a few jokes to be made of this otherwise shambolic situation.
Here at The Independent, we believe that the British public deserves a final say on the Brexit deal. If you agree please sign our petition here.
HT Sky News
More: Final Say: 7 things politicians were saying about Brexit a year ago which look a little naive now
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