Ministers should be hailing it as a major vote of confidence in the economy. King Charles should be clearing his diary to make sure he is available for the opening ceremony. And the broadcasters should be leading the news with it. In normal circumstances, you might expect the announcement that two major global corporations will headquarter their new €7 billion joint venture in the UK to be greeted as a huge win for the country.
It may not be popular with the green elite, but it is a lot more likely to be successful
The trouble is, the Renault joint-venture with China’s Geely has been designed to produce petrol and hybrid engines and not fashionable battery powered cars.
But hold on. With the rest of the world pouring vast subsidies into electric vehicles, spending money the UK cannot hope to compete with, it is increasingly obvious that the UK should make a big bet on petrol.

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