JLR boss warns of Brexit risk to tens of thousands of jobs

Dr Ralf Speth, chief executive, Jaguar Land Rover

The chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has warned that “10,000s of people are at risk” if Brexit causes disruption to its UK manufacturing operations.

Dr Ralf Speth, who has led JLR for eight years, reiterated his warning that a hard Brexit will cost the manufacturer £1.2bn.

Speaking at the Zero Emission Vehicle Summit in Birmingham yesterday, where Theresa May announced funding to support the development of electric vehicles, Dr Speth said: “I can see we will also produce electric vehicles in the UK – if the conditions are right, if we get good productivity, if we have the right environment to invest again in the UK.”

JLR uses around 25m parts to produces 3,000 vehicles a day in the UK, using its just-in-time process. Any disruption which caused production to stop would cost the company £60m a day.

“If one part is not there at the right time in the right position next to the assembly line, we are facing a challenge and that would mean we have to stop the production,” he said.

Speth said JLR needs “free, open, frictionless trade for goods and for people” and issued a stark warning of the potential cost of not being able to do that.

He said: “£1.2bn only means just for Jaguar Land Rover, without any burden on the supply industry,” he said. “It’s a huge figure and it’s really a challenge for Jaguar Land Rover.

“At the end of the day, 10,000s of people are at risk if we don’t find a good solution, the right solution, for Brexit.”

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