Vauxhall owner could move Astra production 'from UK' - BBC News

The chief executive of Vauxhall-owner PSA says it could move all production from its Ellesmere Port factory if Brexit makes it unprofitable.

Carlos Tavares told the Financial Times that the carmaker has alternatives to the plant which it could use.

The move would probably lead to the closure of the site, the FT said, threatening 1,000 jobs.

That would leave Vauxhall's Luton-based van plant as its last presence in the UK.

"Frankly I would prefer to put it [the Astra car] in Ellesmere Port, but if the conditions are bad and I cannot make it profitable, then I have to protect the rest of the company and I will not do it," Mr Tavares told the paper.

"We have an alternative to Ellesmere Port."

In June, the carmaker announced plans to manufacture the next generation of the Astra, its best selling car, in Ellesmere Port and another factory in Germany. At the time, it warned that its decision would depend on the final Brexit terms.

However, Mr Tavares has now gone further, indicating that the firm has another plant in mind should the UK leave the EU without a deal.

'Catastrophic'

In an official statement on Monday, PSA confirmed the group was still looking to manufacture the next-generation Astra at Russelsheim and Ellesmere Port.

But it warned that the final decision on the role of the Ellesmere Port plant would be conditional on the "final terms of the UK's exit from the European Union".

"PSA Groupe has put in to place a comprehensive 'no-deal' contingency plan that covers human resources, taxation, customs, logistics, production, regulation, supply chain and IT," it added.

The firm said it would closely monitor political developments and engage with politicians to understand the various potential Brexit outcomes.

At the weekend, Michael Gove, who has been charged by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to prepare for leaving the EU with no deal, said the government was now "working on the assumption" of a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Gove said his team still aimed to come to an agreement with Brussels, but writing in the Sunday Times, he added: "No deal is now a very real prospect."

Steve Turner, assistant general secretary of Unite, said the union and PSA had been in positive discussions about a new vehicle agreement and securing new models for the Ellesmere Port plant.

"All that hard work is now hanging by a thread as Boris Johnson and his government of hard Brexiteers play no-deal roulette with the livelihoods of thousands of Vauxhall workers and their colleagues in the supply chain," he added.

"A no-deal Brexit, or a deal that throws up barriers and tariffs, would be catastrophic for Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port workers and the UK car industry and make plants inefficient, components less attractive and cars built in the UK more expensive for export."

Analysis:

By Theo Leggett, BBC business correspondent

This isn't the first time Carlos Tavares has warned about the impact of a no-deal Brexit on Vauxhall, but it is the most explicit threat he's made so far.

Last year, for example, he told me there could be "dramatic consequences" for the firm's UK plants, but refused to specify what those consequences might be.

Now he is being specific. Production of the next generation Vauxhall Astra could be moved from Ellesmere Port to another plant in southern Europe.

Yet it is only a month since PSA Group first unveiled its plans to build the new car in Cheshire. So what's changed?

In a word, nothing. That decision was always contingent on a suitable Brexit arrangement being reached to safeguard frictionless trade across the Channel. At the time, company insiders said no-deal was not an option.

Now, with a new Prime Minister in office, Mr Tavares is offering him a clear-cut choice. Get a deal, and the future of the plant could be secured. Go for no-deal and - he says - the work will go elsewhere.

'Not an option'

The Confederation of British Industry has warned the government that neither the UK or EU is ready for a no-deal Brexit.

And the car industry lobby group, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders warned on Friday that "no-deal Brexit is simply not an option."

Car production has been falling in the UK over the past year, amid increasing pleas from the industry for a Brexit deal.

The UK's automotive industry has received a series of blows in recent months, with Honda announcing it will close its Swindon plant in 2021.

Ford also said its Bridgend engine plant in south Wales would close in September 2020 with the loss of 1,700 jobs.

Japanese car producers, including Nissan, have said that Brexit uncertainty is not helping them "plan for the future".

Earlier this year, Nissan opted to build the next X-Trail model in Japan, rather than in Sunderland.

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2019-07-29 10:43:51Z
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No-deal Brexit now 'assumed' by government, says Gove - BBC News

The government is now "working on the assumption" of a no-deal Brexit, Michael Gove has said.

Mr Gove said his team still aimed to come to an agreement with Brussels but, writing in the Sunday Times, he added: "No deal is now a very real prospect."

The prime minister has made Mr Gove responsible for preparing for no-deal.

Treasury sources say they expect more than £1bn of extra funding to be made available later this week for no-deal planning and preparation.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Chancellor Sajid Javid said there would be "significant extra funding" for 500 new Border Force officers and "possible" improved infrastructure at British ports.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told Mr Gove to chair no-deal meetings seven days a week until Brexit is delivered, according to the Sunday Times.

Mr Gove said tweaks to Theresa May's withdrawal agreement - which was approved by the EU but resoundingly rejected by Parliament - would not be enough.

• Brexit: What happens next?
• What is proroguing?

"You can't just reheat the dish that's been sent back and expect that will make it more palatable," he wrote.

He added he hoped EU leaders might yet open up to the idea of striking a new deal, "but we must operate on the assumption that they will not".

"While we are optimistic about the future, we are realistic about the need to plan for every eventuality."

Mr Gove highlighted a major flaw of Mrs May's deal as the Irish backstop plan - a measure designed to prevent the introduction of a hard border on the island of Ireland.

So far the backstop has proved a sticking point in the Brexit negotiations.

A no-deal Brexit would mean the UK leaving the EU and cutting ties immediately, with no agreement in place.

The UK would follow World Trade Organization rules if it wanted to trade with the EU and other countries, while also trying to negotiate free-trade deals.

But with Britain outside the EU, there could be physical checkpoints to monitor people and goods crossing in and out of the UK.

No-confidence vote

Speaking to Sky's Sophy Ridge, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would do everything to prevent a no-deal Brexit.

He reiterated his call for a new referendum - insisting he would still hold one if Labour were in power - and said, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, Labour would campaign to remain in the EU.

Mr Corbyn also said he would look at whether to call a no-confidence vote in the government after Parliament returns in September.

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson told Sky that, in the event of a general election, her party's message would be: "Stop Brexit, stop Boris and start renewing our country."

Mr Gove is one of several new ministers pressing on with Brexit preparations since joining Mr Johnson's cabinet earlier this week.

Newly appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rishi Sunak, told Sky: "We're turbo-charging preparations for no-deal, that is now the government's number one priority."

He said if the EU would not reopen discussions about the Irish backstop plan then "it's right that we prepare properly, with conviction, and importantly with the financial resources that the Treasury will now supply properly".

Boris Johnson's government

Who is in charge of what?

Meanwhile, there have been reports of more dissatisfaction within the Conservative Party, as MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit continue to consider ways to avoid it.

The Observer alleges former chancellor Philip Hammond held private talks with Labour's Brexit spokesman Sir Keir Starmer before Mr Johnson became prime minister.

The pair met shortly after Mr Hammond resigned from the government, the paper said.

Mr Starmer told the paper that work to build "a strong cross-party alliance" to prevent a no-deal Brexit would "intensify over the summer".

But despite several Tory MPs voicing their opposition to Mr Johnson in his first week in Downing Street, an opinion poll has suggested a recent boost in support for the party.

Since Mr Johnson took office on Wednesday the Conservatives have gained 10 points to stand at 30%, a survey for the Mail on Sunday showed.

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2019-07-28 14:39:47Z
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British woman 'arrested over false rape claim' in Ayia Napa - BBC News

A British woman who alleged she was raped in Cyprus has been arrested on suspicion of making a false allegation, according to news agencies.

The 12 Israelis arrested over the alleged attack, which was said to have taken place on 17 July in Ayia Napa, have all been released.

Reuters and AFP said the 19-year-old woman was arrested on Sunday.

The Foreign Office said it was supporting a British woman and her family following her arrest in Cyprus.

She will appear in court on Monday, police spokesman Christos Andreou told AFP.

The British woman contacted police in the early hours of 17 July saying she had been assaulted in a hotel in the holiday resort. Later that day police arrested 12 males, who were remanded in custody.

The group, aged from 15 to 20, denied the claim.

Five of the group were released on Thursday and the remaining seven were sent home on Sunday.

The town of Ayia Napa is a resort popular with young people.

More than 1.3m British tourists visited Cyprus last year, according to Cyprus's statistical service.

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2019-07-28 12:52:08Z
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British woman 'arrested over false rape claim' in Ayia Napa - BBC News

A British woman who alleged she was raped in Cyprus has been arrested on suspicion of making a false allegation, according to news agencies.

The 12 Israelis arrested over the alleged attack, which was said to have taken place on 17 July in Ayia Napa, have all been released.

Reuters and AFP said the 19-year-old woman was arrested on Sunday.

The Foreign Office said it was supporting a British woman and her family following her arrest in Cyprus.

She will appear in court on Monday, police spokesman Christos Andreou told AFP.

The British woman contacted police in the early hours of 17 July saying she had been assaulted in a hotel in the holiday resort. Later that day police arrested 12 males, who were remanded in custody.

The group, aged from 15 to 20, denied the claim.

Five of the group were released on Thursday and the remaining seven were sent home on Sunday.

The town of Ayia Napa is a resort popular with young people.

More than 1.3m British tourists visited Cyprus last year, according to Cyprus's statistical service.

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2019-07-28 11:22:19Z
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'Mass brawl' breaks out on P&O cruise ship Britannia - BBC News

Plates and furniture were reportedly used as weapons after a mass brawl broke out on a British cruise ship.

Six people were hurt as P&O's Britannia sailed to Southampton after a week-long trip to Norway's fjords, police said.

A man, 43, and a 41-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of assault.

Good Morning Britain journalist Richard Gaisford, who was on board, said an emergency tannoy summoned security staff to the ship's restaurant in the early hours of Friday.

Writing on Twitter, he said: "Witnesses told me they were so frightened they had to hide, as family groups fought," he said.

'Violent confrontation'

The people suspected of being behind the violence were confined to a cabin for the last day of the cruise, Mr Gaisford said.

He said the violence occurred after a black-tie evening and an afternoon of "patriotic" partying on deck, when large amounts of alcohol were consumed.

Mr Gaisford said he had been told by a witness the incident was sparked by a passenger taking offence at another holidaymaker dressed as a clown.

However, P&O denied there was someone dressed as a clown on the ship.

Skip Twitter post by @richardgaisford

The buffet area was immediately sealed off as medical teams went to help the injured. Staff told me they’d never experienced anything like it and those behind the violence were confined to a cabin for the last day of the cruise, waiting for police here in Southampton.

— Richard Gaisford (@richardgaisford) July 27, 2019

End of Twitter post by @richardgaisford

A P&O Cruises spokesman said: "Following an incident on board Britannia on Thursday evening we can confirm that all guests have now disembarked and the matter is now in the hands of the local police."

Hampshire Police said its officers attended the ship when it docked in Southampton and investigations are ongoing.

A police spokeswoman said: "The incident took place during the early hours of Friday, 26 July, on board P&O's Britannia while it was en route to Southampton from Bergen."

She said three men and three women were assaulted, with their injuries including significant bruising and cuts.

The man and the woman arrested, both from Chigwell, Essex, are in police custody.

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2019-07-28 06:51:35Z
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UK lawmaker issues etiquette, writing guidelines that ban words including 'hopefully,' 'very' - Fox News

The new leader of Britain’s House of Commons, known for his orate rhetoric and affinity for tradition, has issued a painstaking list of grammar and etiquette for his staff.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, who was appointed to his new role on Wednesday by new Prime Minister Boris Johnson, demanded in his rules that his staff stop using words such as “hopefully”, “very,” “due to” and “equal.”

“CHECK your work,” the list said.

BRITISH LAWMAKER CALLED 'SELFISH, DEGENERATE PRICK' ON HIS OWN TWITTER ACCOUNT BY QUITTING STAFFER

The list, published Friday by ITV News, advises staff they must use only imperial measurements, put a double space after periods and give all non-titled males the suffix Esq. in correspondence.

The European Union has issued several directives over the decades asking member states to use metric measurements, however, the U.K. has been a late adopter to the system.

Rees-Mogg’s office said the guidance was drawn up by the North East Somerset MP’s constituency team years ago and has now been shared with officials in his new office.

UK'S BORIS JOHNSON PROMISES NEW 'GOLDEN AGE' AS HE MAKES HIS FIRST SPEECH IN PARLIAMENT

The Conservative Party lawmaker is nicknamed “the honorable member for the 18th century” because of his formal dress and conservative views.

Other directions to staff include avoiding the use of “invest (in schools, etc)”, or “note/understand your concerns.”

According to a separate report by ITV News, a search of one of Rees-Mogg’s Brexit speeches published by BrexitCentral, found that the lawmaker had used a number of his banned words, including “very”, “equal” and “lot.”

The list has since gone viral online. On Saturday, Rees-Mogg explained that the reason he issued the guidelines was that it would be “rude” to send constituents letters improperly addressed from his office.

“They asked how I like my letters done and I said: ‘Well I have got a list of how things are done in my office upstairs’,” he told the Telegraph. “I had it brought down from my House of Commons office. It’s just a thing listing banned words, which are sort of New Labour words like ‘unacceptable’.”

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He added: “If you mean something’s wrong, say it’s wrong. And ‘impacted’ - unless it’s a wisdom tooth. A sort of style guide. And people must be correctly addressed. I always put esquire to a male constituent.”

“Letters to constituents must be addressed properly. It would be rude not to!”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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2019-07-27 13:31:10Z
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Heathrow and Gatwick passengers hit with more delays - BBC News

Air passengers at two of the UK's biggest airports were hit by more disruption caused by a problem with the country's air traffic control system.

It came after Heathrow and Gatwick had already endured a day of flight cancellations and delays due to storms following this week's heatwave.

The UK air traffic controller said the situation would improve after it fixed the problem.

Rail delays caused by extreme heat also began to ease on Friday.

The Met Office said Thursday was potentially the UK's hottest ever day after it received a provisional recording of 38.7C at Cambridge Botanic Garden.

Official figures, which recorded 38.1C in Cambridge, already put Thursday as the hottest July day on record and the UK's second hottest day.

Friday was cooler than Thursday, with temperatures ranging from 23C to 25C in most areas (73F to 77F), rising to 27C in south-east England.

But flights were disrupted by storms across Europe and trains were delayed as rail companies worked to repair the damage from Thursday's extreme heat.

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'No idea what to do'

Mark Pickering was due to fly to Singapore on his way to Sydney, but his Thursday evening flight from Heathrow was cancelled due to "spoiled" food caused by the hot weather.

He waited at the airport until 02:00 BST on Friday morning, before getting a hotel and returning at 07:00 to try again.

"I still don't know where my bags are and I've no idea what to do when I finally get to Singapore because I've missed my connecting flight by ages," he said.

"When the flight was cancelled last night there was a line of about 300 to 400 people and no-one really knew what was going on. There was one person at the check in desk."

Diane Styant, who was booked to fly on the same flight to Singapore as Mr Pickering, said she was not able to get any accommodation on Thursday night.

She said she had to sit on an upright chair in a coffee shop until 03:30, when she and her husband joined the queue in departures for rebooking.

After more than four hours, they managed to book another flight leaving on Friday.

"Our precious annual holiday to visit our family who live in Singapore has not got off well," she added.

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A "technical problem" at Swanwick air traffic control centre on Friday morning also caused problems at Heathrow and Gatwick.

The UK's air traffic controller said in the afternoon it had "fixed the issue sufficiently to safely increase traffic flow rates".

Heathrow Airport said fewer than 100 flights, or 10% of the total, were affected during Friday.

Both Heathrow and Gatwick advised passengers to check with airlines before travelling.

British Airways said the severe thunderstorms caused "significant delays and cancellations to our operation in and out of London".

At London Liverpool Street station on Friday evening, passengers took to social media to say they faced large crowds and significant delays.

Author Erica James described the scene as "hell", while fellow rail traveller Ross Brereton warned others on Twitter to avoid the station "like the plague".

Network Rail said there were problems with two train lines from the station.

Elsewhere, there was disruption on the Midland Main Line between London St Pancras and Sheffield and on services operated by Great Northern, Thameslink, East Midlands Trains and West Midlands Trains.

West Midlands Railway said overnight work to repair damage caused delays and many trains started on Friday out of place, leading to cancellations and shorter trains.

Passengers using Eurostar services to and from Paris faced "severe disruption" due to overhead power line problems in the French capital.

Many operators said tickets for Friday could be used the following day, and offered compensation to season ticket holders who did not travel on Thursday.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: "All passengers told not to travel due to extreme weather should be entitled to claim compensation."

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2019-07-27 09:58:25Z
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