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The chancellor and prime minister pledge support to JLR

The prime minister has hinted at the possibility of a short-term loan to help Jaguar Land Rover through the economic crisis.

Both Gordon Brown and the chancellor, Alistair Darling, have said that the government will help out. Speaking in Liverpool, with specific reference to Jaguar Land Rover and General Motors’ Ellesmere Port Vauxhall plant, the prime minister said: “We are talking to the motor industry about what we can do to help.”

The government’s statement was in stark contrast to today’s announcement by Nissan that it will cut up to 1200 jobs at its Sunderland plant.

Darling said the government “will do whatever it can to support Jaguar Land Rover”.

Brown said: “Jaguar Land Rover has owners and we are prepared to talk to them about how the downturn can be dealt with, but in the first instance, the company is going to have to make its own decisions. The issue is to get the economy moving again.”

Matt Rigby

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