SHOCK HORROR!!The government's next fleet of armoured ministerial cars will be made in Germany because supply chain issues hampered by Brexit mean no British manufacturer is able to meet its requirements, The Independent has learned.
The Metropolitan Police announced over the summer that it was ditching armoured Jaguar XJs for Baden-Württemberg-assembled Audi A8s – prompting criticism.
Elsewhere in the article we are informedThe problems obtaining a suitable car from the UK were revealed in a written response to a question from the London Assembly, which scrutinises the Metropolitan Police Authority. The Met is in turn responsible for ministerial protection, including procuring the cars.
"All Metropolitan Police Service contracts are subject to public procurement regulations, with considerations given to safety requirements as well as cost and vehicle availability," officers said in a statement.
"For this tender specifically, at the time of tender, there was no UK Original Equipment Manufacturer able to meet the requirements of the tender, or producing a similar specification of vehicle, therefore no bid was made by any UK manufacture for the contract."
Still, we've got our blue passports back so everything is all right, really.In 2016, the UK produced around 1.7 million cars a year, but since the EU referendum, this figure has steadily declined to just 786,000, according to the latest numbers from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
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