“This is a bitter blow, not only to the 6,000 people who work at Longbridge, but to their families and to the thousands of others whose own livelihoods are intertwined with that of MG Rover. When BMW pulled out 5 years ago, I was one of 80,000 who marched to save Rover. Together, government, unions and the communities of the West Midlands came together and the closure threat to Longbridge was lifted with the success of the Phoenix project. We always knew it would be a hard road and that finding a partner for MG Rover would be crucial to secure the company’s long term survival. The SAIC negotiations offered the real prospect of this but the deal we hoped would be secured proved not to be achievable. But the fight for Longbridge’s future is not over. Government, unions and the entire West Midlands is rallying round Rover workers and their families once again. Backing that effort is still my first priority.”
Statement on MG Rover
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