The story of Honda leaving Swindon is another case-study in how Brexit is a political circus-mirror, warping and twisting perceptions on all sides. Basically, everyone is wrong and should shut up.
Honda isn’t leaving Swindon because of Brexit. We know that because Honda has said it, about as clearly as a company can. Ian Howells, senior vice-president for Honda in Europe, told the BBC: ‘This is not a Brexit-related issue for us.’
That, of course, is at odds with the account offered by several politicians and countless #FBPE people on Twitter. David Lammy and Sarah Wollaston are among the MPs who yesterday linked the closure to Brexit. At the time of writing, neither has said anything about the company’s comment.
And even if they did correct themselves, I suspect it wouldn’t make any difference. The confirmation-bias that drives Brexit narratives is just too strong for mere facts to change much. The committed Remain supporters who yesterday decided the Honda story proved them right on Brexit are unlikely to change their position now.
Facts still matter though, and the failure to accept them has consequences.
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