Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Honda closure taskforce 'has not met since June'

Honda closure taskforce 'has not met since June'

Honda said "no viable alternative" to the Swindon plant closure had been found during consultation.

A taskforce to coordinate a response to Swindon's Honda plant's closure has not met since June, the BBC has learned.

In February the company said it would close the factory by 2021 with the loss of 3,500 jobs, and earlier this week Honda Logistics said it too would shut.

The group was set up to support workers and those in Honda's supply chain, as well as plan a future for the site.

The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said it was doing everything it could to support workers.

It said the "work of local leaders and the taskforce has made it clear that Swindon is a key place to invest".

Labour's parliamentary candidate for South Swindon Sarah Church said: "In less than two years this site will be closed. It will be a really significant hit to our local economy. This should be the highest priority for local politicians.

"I'm aware they are distracted by Brexit, but this is locally huge and the fact they haven't met since June doesn't instil any confidence they have a plan to tackle this problem."


Battery plant

The taskforce brought together political and business leaders but has not met since the then business secretary, Greg Clark, was replaced by Andrea Leadsom in reshuffle following Boris Johnson's election as Conservative leader and prime minister.

Employment-based options for the future use of the site have been considered and Swindon Borough Council has insisted the land should not be used for housing.

Honda of the UK Manufacturing Ltd, which still owns the site, said: "Discussions around potential investment are confidential, and we would not therefore comment on the content or outcome."

Last month Labour announced at its party conference it would fund a battery production plant on the vast South Marston site.

The borough council has said as the land is owned by Honda, it would be up to the firm who it sold it to.

Honda has not wanted to comment about it openly but said it was talking to local and national government about the options.

South Swindon Conservative MP, Robert Buckland, said there were plenty of options on the table once Honda decided what it wanted to do with its site.

"Whether that's through an Enterprise Zone or securing the site in terms of purchase, we'll find a way to help lever really high quality investment to make sure the jobs of the future attract high wages and high skills," he said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×