COMING TO UK! CAR PLANT DEAL WORTH BILLIONS

Who said Brexit is bad for business?

-  Martyn Brown , Robert Kellaway

BRITAIN has won a Brexit battle with Spain to persuade a manufacturing giant it should build a crucial electric car battery plant here.

The boss of Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata is due to rubber stamp the multibillion-pound deal with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak next week.

It is seen as the most significant investment in the car industry since Nissan set up a factory in Sunderland in 1986.

And the coup, which would create up to 9,000 jobs, makes a mockery of Sir Keir Starmer's claims that an "improved" Brexit deal is needed amid concerns UK car plants will otherwise be put at risk.

The deal with India's Tata involves around half a billion pounds of public support, in part to secure low energy prices for the giga-factory - which is likely to be built in Somerset.

Our government has been locked in a bidding war with Spain, offering subsidies to the firm in recent weeks. The deal comes amid a global race to build enough plants to supply countries' car sectors with batteries in the switch to electric vehicles.

Tory MPs said the decision shows that Brexit is working. Party vicechairman Craig Tracey said: "This is a huge vote of confidence in Britain and vital investment that will help us deliver on our priority to grow the economy. We have once again proven the naysayers wrong, securing investment to create new jobs.

Waiting

"And striking out as a nation free from the single market. Working to deliver our priorities to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists and stop the boats will make Britain an even more attractive place to invest." Senior Whitehall sources said that the deal will be announced formally when the Prime Minister meets Tata's chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran next week.