Vauxhall owner Stellantis’ decision to close its Luton factory, putting 1,100 jobs at risk, came after Government efforts to save the plant failed.

The closure of Vauxhall’s Luton plant is a “downpayment” for further job losses in future, shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith has said. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds blamed the previous government for the 1,100 jobs at risk, claiming “it was too late after 14 years of failure to be able to put this right”.

Luton's Vauxhall van factory is set to close in 2025, thanks in part to the UK government's Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) mandate. This could be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the destruction of the UK's car manufacturing sector.