Remainers threats backfire! Nissan vows to PULL OUT of EU and boost UK hub if Brussels blocks trade
NISSAN announced contingency plans to pull-out of the EU and beef up its UK plant if trade talks increase barriers, it emerged last night.
In a major boost to Boris Johnson's negotiating hand, the major car manufacturer would double down on production in the UK where it believes it could sell one in five of all vehicles.
Under the plans - leaked to the Financial Times - Nissan would close its struggling plants in Barcelona and stop manufacturing in France.
But its Sunderland plant would stay open and could even increase production as part of a plan to steal UK market share from other car makers who would be hit by the tariffs on UK-EU trade.
Boris Johnson will use a speech in London today to call for a Canada-style free trade agreement.
If the EU doesn't agree, Boris will threaten to walk away.
He will say: "There is no need for a free trade agreement to involve accepting EU rules."
The PM will begin bigging up the prospect of trading with the EU on World Trade Organisation terms if EU bosses don't play ball.
He will say: "We have often been told that we must choose between full access to the EU market, along with accepting its rules and courts on the Norway model, or an ambitious free trade agreement, which opens up markets and avoids the full panoply of EU regulation, on the example of Canada."
"We have made our choice - we want a free trade agreement, similar to Canada's but in the very unlikely event that we do not success, then our trade will have to be based on our existing Withdrawal Agreement with the EU."
"The question is whether we agree a trading relationship with the EU comparable to Canada's - or more like Australia's."