Almost all 850 jobs at van maker LDV have been lost after the company went into administration yesterday.
Thousands more jobs at dealerships, suppliers and manufacturers are also at risk just weeks after a £5m government loan was given to help sell the manufacturer. Last week, a Malaysian company pulled out of the planned takeover after admitting it had not been able to find other financial backers.
Unions and LDV were divided over blame for the company falling into administration.
LDV’s marketing manager, Guy Jones, said the government had failed to offer a larger loan to interested companies.
“[The government] had not addressed the fundamental issue, which is access to working capital now,” he said.
But Tony Woodley, joint leader of union Unite, said: “LDV has been in a vulnerable situation for many years and this announcement is not due to any lack of effort by either unions or the government to find solutions.”
