Fords Southampton Van plant to close

[BDG]

Well, we are out of recession. A recession is where your have two consecutive quarters of negative growth - that is, the economy shrinks. The economy has grown so we are no longer in recession.

The thing is, it has not grown to an extent that it was at pre 2008. It never will.

It is swings and roundabouts with regards to the car industry. Ford rationalizing its European organization - to be fair, they have only been operating at 65% capacity. PSA group going cap in hand to the French government for massive subsidies. Shame we could not have subsidized our car industry rather than nationalizing it, cheers Tony Benn.

However, if we look at Jaguar Land Rover, they are going through massive growth. OK, it may be owned by an Indian parent company, but the bulk of manufacture and R&D is in the UK.

NR, you are right, you should have went with the Iveco, better build quality and even the new transits are rot boxes. The daily shares a lot of componants with the other vehicles in its class anyway.

With regards to the future, the economy is not going to be at the levels of the past ever again. Expect for the general population, if they keep doing what they have been doing to have to have at least 20% more money to maintain the lifestyle.

This is a natural readjustment, people have been living beyond their means for too long, it is just politicians are scared of telling people the truth.