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Sir Ratty Ratcliffe, brexiteer and Monaco resident, has decided to stick two fingers up at those 500 potential workers in Bridgend and build his Grenadier in France instead. Guardian
Happy Christmas Jimbo, you ****.
This is the way.
he said in September 2019. “The decision to build in the UK is a significant expression of confidence in British manufacturing, which has always been at the heart of what Ineos stands for.”
But when he saw the opportunity make more money by building overseas he took it. I don’t have a problem with a business being business minded but don’t go swanning around with the British flag waving if you are not going to stand by your word.
Edit: I was too soft. He lobbied for Brexit, a vocal supporter of Britain going alone stating British industry is world class and doesn't need EU access. He then locates his manufacturing in France to take advantage access to markets that EU has to offer. What a massive bellend.
Brexiteer persuades people via the Sun that 'things will be built in Britain', then buys plant, tooling and talent from Germany ready made by Mercedes instead. Well, colour me surprised.
He probably realised he needed to move fast or Nissan would buy it to replace the Sunderland plant.
People of Bridgend voted to leave, so Ford and Ineos did.
I would like to see the Welsh government get some of the £5m back that he took as he is now not keeping the plant in the UK.
https://www.business-live.co.uk/manufacturing/welsh-government-want-money-back-18560962
He lobbied for Brexit, a vocal supporter of Britain going alone stating British industry is world class and doesn’t need EU access. He then locates his manufacturing in France to take advantage access to markets that EU has to offer. What a massive bellend.
This, but...
People of Bridgend voted to leave, so Ford and Ineos did.
...also this
One rule for Brexies, a different one for the rest of us...
Edit: I was too soft. He lobbied for Brexit, a vocal supporter of Britain going alone stating British industry is world class and doesn’t need EU access. He then locates his manufacturing in France to take advantage access to markets that EU has to offer. What a massive bellend.
No different to every other rich Brexiteer.
Jacob R-M moved his investment fund business to Ireland, Farage was on the phone to Germany the day after the vote trying to get himself a German passport, James Dyson moved everything over to Singapore...
Anyway, what's Welsh for schadenfreude?
Anyway, what’s Welsh for schadenfreude?
Lladenfreude
Well, there's a ****ing surprise. Still, will of the people and all that.
It’s a complete sham this, another example is the Hungarian airline Wizzair setting up UK bases for next year, they most likely will not be employing British pilots, when there are at least 1500 unemployed British pilots.
We’ve collectively been sold down the river but unfortunately the majority of the great British public won’t realise this until they get their P45.
Does this mean he will be renaming it the Musketeer?
What an absolute tool that man is.
People of Bridgend voted to leave
So did Sunderland. Sometimes my brain really struggles to make sense of people and what they are thinking..
is this [I]actually[/I] down to Brexit though, as in the Welsh site is now genuinely unviable, or is it just down to this guy being a **** and wanting to make slightly more money on top of the billions he already has?Well, there’s a **** surprise. Still, will of the people and all that.
It looks like a bad clone of an old defender anyway.
Does this mean he will be renaming it the Musketeer?
https://twitter.com/joesaward/status/1336532128583061505
is this actually down to Brexit though
Very hard to prove, but there is a bit of a track record amongst rich Brexies as Crazy-legs points out
are going to rename it (the vehicle) the odious poltroon
Haha 2 faced rich businessman shocker.. That's great news for France though👍
Good news for France is good news for EU is good news for global economy is good news eventually for the small fish (UK)
Maybe the people of Bridgend and Sunderland aren't overly happy with the treasure at the end of the rainbow??
is this actually down to Brexit though, as in the Welsh site is now genuinely unviable, or is it just down to this guy being a * and wanting to make slightly more money on top of the billions he already has?
My comment's more based around on the trouser snake being a massive flag-waving Brexit advocate then utterly betraying the people he helped encourage to vote leave by moving his manufacturing away from them. So, is the plant moving because of Brexit? Dunno. Is he a Brexit * for moving it? Absolutely.
Lladenfreude
Deserves recognition.
It is quite the con job with in excess of 17 million dupes.
Mind you, they put in 30+ years of groundwork. Drip drip.
Ratcliffe is an odious, hypocritical, greedy, shameless, tax dodging cxxx. One of the few men whom if they keeled over tomorrow id open a beer to celebrate.
How good a commercial proposition is his stupid vanity truck anyway?
Ineos Grenadier's unfortunate social media person was getting the rough end of the stick yesterday.
It looks like a bad clone of an old defender anyway.
Yeah it is, the whole project is fuelled by rose tinted nostalgia and development grant scams.
Sadly Welsh Gov has been taken for a ride, time and time again by Grifters who promise to build big projects here, they give them millions for development and then it all goes wrong at the 11th hour. See 'Circuit of Wales' and the latest TVR for details. Word is that the Local Gov in France, fearful of job losses when Mercedes left outbid Bridgend to have the factory there.
As for the actual car, as you say it's a blatant Defender rip-up. supposedly Ratcliffe, fuelled by Patriotic Nostalgia and Brandy (from him home in Monaco) get all pissy when JLR finally stopped making the old defender and said he'd build one, and named it after his 'favourite pub in London' which gives you all the info you need really, mindless nostalgia, mixed with a 'good old fashioned Pub' and a military sounding name. Peak Brexiteer then.
Really though, the whole thing is doomed to fail. Land Rover didn't decide to stop making then for fun, they'd been in a battle with emissions with this slab fronted, heavy box on wheels for years. The last few years IO think they only made them for the sake of the brand, that's not to say they don't have their fans, but fewer and fewer of them wanted to pay more and more for a 35 year old car, which was only a mildly updated version of a 70 year old car with a rattly Transit Diesel engine.
By the time it's made, in tiny numbers, and has a BMW 6 cylinder engine installed it'll be very expensive, by the time it's taxed it will be very, very expensive.
So, buyers will have to ask themselves, do they want a tough, reliable, off-road 'tool' to use on the farm? Because the Japanese have made better ones for decades.
Do they want a 'Old Defender' well there's still a million on the road and dozens of outfits who will update, upgrade and polish them up for you.
Do they want a modern Defender, well turns out JLR make one, and apparently it's brilliant, it certainly looks great and once the Primrose Hill gang get their hands on one, no one will want the old ones.
This is the way.
You win the internet for today.
I too am nourished by brexiteer tears. The more shit that happens like this the better - the British need educating.
TBF How many of the Gammony masses would actually have been able to afford a British or French manufactured 'Grenadier' much less actually need one? It was always a billionaire's folly...
I think it's the perfect analogy for Brexit; a thing that a relatively small number of people ever asked for, oversold to the masses using misty-eyed nostalgia for a past that never really existed, and the promise of Jobs for the faithful... That promptly ****ed off to EU soil when a better "deal" turns up.
On the plus side, at least one Brexy can get a deal with the EU.
Are you listening BloJo?
I think it’s the perfect analogy for Brexit; a thing that a relatively small number of people ever asked for, oversold to the masses using misty-eyed nostalgia for a past that never really existed, and the promise of Jobs for the faithful… That promptly **** off to EU soil when a better “deal” turns up.
This 👆
The project is doomed to failure, so in some ways better for Bridgend to take the hit now, than for people's hopes to be built up and then beaten down again in 2 years when it folds (I went to school in Bridgend, and know how big the Ford factory was for the town).
I wish the man every failure.
Karma is a bitch.
If you vote for something, you should no longer have the right to complain about the consequences.
The positive and negative impacts of Brexit were clear (but cleverly manipulated for effect by both sides of the debate at the time). For those who voted 'to get our country back' without due understanding of the real world consequences, I say shame on you.
Making us a less competitive place to manufacture and do business with was always on the cards. If you voted leave and are now being impacted by the UK being less competitive place to manufacture and do business with, tough.
I work for a UK business that trades extensively with the EU. The cheques that I have had to write in the last few months to mitigate Brexit, and the ongoing s#$t storm that we will now have to endure beggar belief. And for what?
Ineos are a business. As unpalatable as it might be to some, the are in the game of making money. If Ratcliffe can pay less tax in Monaco, and manufacture his products more cheaply in France, I really can't blame him.
We had the opportunity to stay a part of the EU and a little over 50% of us decided not to. Now the 100% must suffer the consequences. I could be bitter about it (particularly since the balance of voters required to leave are probably now dead given the demographic profile of leave voters 4 years ago), but that's democracy for you!
Yeah it is, the whole project is fuelled by rose tinted nostalgia and development grant scams.
Sadly Welsh Gov has been taken for a ride, time and time again by Grifters who promise to build big projects here, they give them millions for development and then it all goes wrong at the 11th hour. See ‘Circuit of Wales’ and the latest TVR for details. Word is that the Local Gov in France, fearful of job losses when Mercedes left outbid Bridgend to have the factory there.
As for the actual car, as you say it’s a blatant Defender rip-up. supposedly Ratcliffe, fuelled by Patriotic Nostalgia and Brandy (from him home in Monaco) get all pissy when JLR finally stopped making the old defender and said he’d build one, and named it after his ‘favourite pub in London’ which gives you all the info you need really, mindless nostalgia, mixed with a ‘good old fashioned Pub’ and a military sounding name. Peak Brexiteer then.
Really though, the whole thing is doomed to fail. Land Rover didn’t decide to stop making then for fun, they’d been in a battle with emissions with this slab fronted, heavy box on wheels for years. The last few years IO think they only made them for the sake of the brand, that’s not to say they don’t have their fans, but fewer and fewer of them wanted to pay more and more for a 35 year old car, which was only a mildly updated version of a 70 year old car with a rattly Transit Diesel engine.
By the time it’s made, in tiny numbers, and has a BMW 6 cylinder engine installed it’ll be very expensive, by the time it’s taxed it will be very, very expensive.
So, buyers will have to ask themselves, do they want a tough, reliable, off-road ‘tool’ to use on the farm? Because the Japanese have made better ones for decades.
Do they want a ‘Old Defender’ well there’s still a million on the road and dozens of outfits who will update, upgrade and polish them up for you.
Do they want a modern Defender, well turns out JLR make one, and apparently it’s brilliant, it certainly looks great and once the Primrose Hill gang get their hands on one, no one will want the old ones.
Agreed, it all sounds a little bit DeLorean-esque to me!
Is this Brexit or is it:
Build a factory from scratch and train staff.
Vs
Fire sale price on existing factory and trained workforce.
Despite personally being a billionaire the actual co looks to have limited funding (in comparison to say Tesla). Remember Dyson pulled out of market after testing / analysing competition. With those odds it’s unlikely that the investment community is going to rally behind him and the co so it’s important they are careful. Having 3bn in the bank is meaningless if it takes 5bn to get the co to scale and the investment community would rather double down on Tesla / Nio etc...
From a trade perspective think of the taxes the US throws on a Range Rover or Audi. If anything the additional price makes the wagons even more desirable as a ‘foreign’.
With UK / Brexit I imagine cars are the first thing to get solved during negotiation. We buy a lot of VAG / BMW / Merc etc... UK needs them and they need to sell them, UK has no viable competition. Kind of win / win. It’s hardly fishing rights.
it all sounds a little bit DeLorean-esque to me!
Damn! Was just going to suggest putting a time machine in the back and everyone will be all over it.
Anyway, won't anyone think of Geraint Thomas? <awkward>
With UK / Brexit I imagine cars are the first thing to get solved during negotiation.
You sound like David Davies now.
23 days and counting... when do the German car manufacturers come riding in on their white horses? They aren't.
The Vote Leave government are happy to see our car manufacturing dry up over the next few years... they don't give a damn. Paying more over here for VAG / BMW / Merc etc is just something for us to suck up... it doesn't work the other way around I'm afraid... this is not about "two equal sovereign" states setting their trading terms... this is the UK on one side, the rest of Europe on the other... time to wake up. Opening a new car plant in the UK in 2021 would be foolish... Brexit cheerleader or not... it's just business.
Anyway, won’t anyone think of Geraint Thomas
he could pop next door and have a word.
As for the actual car, as you say it’s a blatant Defender rip-up. supposedly Ratcliffe, fuelled by Patriotic Nostalgia and Brandy (from him home in Monaco) get all pissy when JLR finally stopped making the old defender and said he’d build one, and named it after his ‘favourite pub in London’ which gives you all the info you need really, mindless nostalgia, mixed with a ‘good old fashioned Pub’ and a military sounding name. Peak Brexiteer then.
Really though, the whole thing is doomed to fail. Land Rover didn’t decide to stop making then for fun, they’d been in a battle with emissions with this slab fronted, heavy box on wheels for years. The last few years IO think they only made them for the sake of the brand, that’s not to say they don’t have their fans, but fewer and fewer of them wanted to pay more and more for a 35 year old car, which was only a mildly updated version of a 70 year old car with a rattly Transit Diesel engine.
So a vanity project that will probably be left to wither after a few years anyhow when/if no-one buys them. Bridgend may be better off without it.
Sounds like Ratcliffe is having the billionaire's version of a standard midlife crisis. His equivalent of buying old landies/classic cars and doing them up is to build and try to sell his own, while the 'getting old, buy a road bike and obsess over Rapha/power stats and the right kind of cap' thing is to buy a team.
Is this Brexit or is it:
Build a factory from scratch and train staff.
Vs
Fire sale price on existing factory and trained workforce.
TBH there's not much in, the Plant in Bridgend was going to be based in the old Ford factory which closed recently, there's also thousands of recently unemployed skilled production staff to fill the roles.
The factory in France makes, or made Smart EVs, I doubt its any better or worse for making large ladder framed SUVs than the former Ford plant in Bridgend.
The difference is one is in the largest trade organisation in the world with established trade global trade agreements, the same organisation as your engine/drive-train producer and the other is based in a country that doesn't yet know what it's trade agreements with the rest of the world will be in 22 days.
Apart from a availability of ready built modern factory and workforce, assume the fact that Ineos engineering partner, Magna already has chassis manufacturing/assembly facility at Hambach would be a major draw.
Also Portugal looses out in this deal as they were due to build chassis / bodies but this will move to Hambach.
When it comes to making putting together cars, they need us more than we... Ah. Piddle.
Geraint Thomas? Isn't another 'tax dodging' Monaco resident?
Since when was Brexit or the EU about locking up domestic businesses? My wife's NMW X3 was produced in the US just as every X3 is. Where is the outcry about that? Global business being global shocker!!
Starting a non electric car company these days does seem a strange idea.
Hopefully next week he'll start a VHS factory.