This is a second page of your comments on the issues concerning the British automobile company MG Rover.
The second page of your comments:
The government has not failed Rover - build cars that people want and there would be no problem. Businesses can only survive if they have a product that people want to buy. Public money should not go into propping up bad businesses with poor products.
Neil, Northumberland
Electioneering or what? I strongly object to tax payers' money being spent on an ailing company, when so many other better deserving entities have been allowed to sink without trace.
Andy Thomas, Solihull, England
I worked for Rover for seven years before moving to Land Rover when BMW sold us. I still have many friends at Rover and my heart goes out to them. I think the government should intervene, as the loss of jobs will devastate the surrounding areas. I firmly believe, having experienced it myself, that the management structure is to blame. Too many chiefs, not enough Indians!
Tracy, Birmingham
I am an ex-employee of Rover. I took my redundancy when BMW decided to move on. The management at Longbridge are all to blame; they have made millions for themselves. It's not the governments fault. The staff who lose out can still be re-trained into new jobs. I did, and I am happy in my new career.
Mr S Sohpal, Birmingham
 |  In this country we don't seem to care about our own industries |
Despite EU laws, other European countries have backed their motor industries and companies like Renault are now successful. In this country we don't seem to care about our own industries and buy products from abroad through snobbery and misleading marketing.
Mark, Stoke on Trent Yes of course MG Rover ought to be supported. As noted earlier, Triumph motorcycles are now in demand - due to investment and training - not asset stripping and jobs export - we can't all sell insurance and ice-cream.
Marc, Nottingham
It is time this government stopped interfering in the free market economy and throwing yet more taxpayers money down the drain on long gone dead ducks.
Michael, London
This Labour government must take some of the responsibility for the MG Rover failure, it happened on their watch; equally they would have taken the praise if it had become a roaring success. The DTI has a lot to answer for - it spends billions and delivers, well, not very much. But that appears to be New Labour.
Mike Hall, Kingham
| How come people can support a national football team but not a national carmaker? |
I own two Rovers - a 25 and a 75. Both are excellent cars, and are cheap to maintain and insure. I chose Rover because I wanted to support local industry. Remember during the World Cup when every car seemed to be festooned with crosses of St. George? How come people can support a national football team but not a national carmaker?
Jenny Berki, Birmingham How many other companies get a hand out from the government to keep things going? This is blatant electioneering. One of the key factors for the auto industry's decline has been unions and their lack of flexibility. Will the unions admit some responsibility and put some cash in to support the future job losses?
Kris, Nottingham
Manufacturing industry is doomed in the this country because the means of production are too expensive. That's global economics, plain and simple. Rover will die, the workforce will become redundant, and must retrain for the new industries of the 21st century. If nostalgia ruled in British industry, we would still be working in filthy industries which are now outsourced to the developing world. Let's send the Rover-lovers down the pits, and see how nostalgic and keen for government support of heavy industry they are then.
Frank, London
I don't believe there is a chance for Rover to live on. The Rover brand has been deeply tarnished over the years, The MG brand less so however Mazda launched the MX5 16 years ago. MG should have done this, but they were producing metros and maestros. Rover have blown every chance they had, the current 75 is by far and away the best engineered car ever to come out of Rover and it was largely done with BMW owning them. The workforce have proved given the chance they can build a well engineered car and yet again they suffer due to very poor management.
Ward Robertson, Chepstow, Wales
I believe the Rover 75 is the best car on the market for quality, value and style. This car has unique charisma lacking in its competitors. Rover are too good to lose - let's hope they can be saved
K Cooper, Brighton UK
| If the British don't have faith in their own manufacturing industry, we can't expect the rest of the world to either |
Rover didn't stand a chance. Phoenix has always maintained ever since they took over that an engineering partner was vital for the future of the business. With the constant ridicule and lambasting MG Rover get from the British media and press, what were any potential suitors - and I list Proton, China Brilliance and SAIC - left to think? If the British don't have faith in their own manufacturing industry, we can't expect the rest of the world to either. So to all the motorcar critics in this country, how would you feel if your job was lost because someone else finds it funny to deride what you do for a living?
Simon, Liverpool, UK People in other countries make more desirable cars that are better value for money. That always was going to cause a few problems for a UK motor manufacturer in the end. I think the UK can achieve economic success without a 'strong' manufacturing sector, after all, Kensington & Chelsea is one of the richest boroughs in the UK, and you don't count many manual workers on the electoral register. The UK should be aiming, as it currently is, to make a rapid improvement in the standard of education in the country and we can transform ourselves.
Lawrence Toms, London, UK
I am at a loss as to how the government can be blamed for MG Rover going under. The company was run by a board of directors. Lack of new models and an oversaturated car market, the addiction to SUV helped reduce Rover sales. Also the government cannot subsidise Rover as it's against EU rules.
George, Manchester
| This is the result of crazed free market madness that has destroyed another layer of British industry |
This is what globalisation means in practice. We have 40 or so (major) manufacturers selling cars on the British market at the present. This has resulted in stiffer and stifling competition driving Rover sales down to 3% of the market. This is the result of crazed free market madness that has destroyed another layer of British industry and destroyed 20,000 jobs. The result of abandonment of British pride in its own products!
Cedric Green, Edinburgh
I am a small supplier to MG Rover based in Birmingham. Everyone has an opinion of what went wrong, and we can all talk about the numbers involved. In my opinion it is the management and decision makers in the past 12 years that should stand up and be counted, and the current situation does date back that far. The workforce cannot be blamed, as they take their guidance from the management, and there have been no industrial disputes at Longbridge for many years. I also think the media, including the BBC, should hold their hands up for an element responsibility. Some of the speculative reporting of the past few weeks, always from then negative position would not help any company and especially MG Rover. Lets get behind MG Rover and support them.
Guy Reynolds, Birmingham
Blair and the unions created this problem in the first place. It was Blair's government in the form of Steven Byers that pushed Phoenix and Towers instead of Alchemy Partners - who made more sense but were opposed for ideological rather than financial reasons! It's also hypocritical how unions, Brown and Blair now complain about the money the directors are alleged to have made - they didn't seem to complain over the 5 years Phoenix have had the business! Rover is a dead duck - it was in 2000 and nothing has changed.
John, UK
The collapse of Rover and the failure of the government to act effectively is typical. Over the last 25 years we have seen a major decline in manufacturing and primary industry in the UK. We have seen shipbuilding, textiles, engineering, iron and steel, agriculture, fisheries and many others fall by the wayside while the government sat bleating on the sidelines. The government needs to have policies, plans and strategies to rebuild the manufacturing base in this country and a reformed Rover company would be a good place to start. It says a lot about the Government's perception of the British economy being a strong economy if this kind of thing can happen. Even worse, the bosses end up better off than the workers. It's a disgrace.
Kevin, UK
The government should certainly not be using public money to support a failed private company. The potential loss of that many jobs is a severe blow to the West Midlands and the government should (and I hope will) look at ways of helping those left without work. That is a correct and proper use of public funds. What really angers me is the comments from Michael Howard today in which he says HE would have spent public money to stop the closure....pure electioneering rubbish. Promise of public money to a failed private company...from a Tory??
Pete, Edinburgh
The market and the customers decide on the success or fate of a company or industry, not governments. It is obvious that nobody really needs Rover cars although there are nice models like the 75. State intervention is wrong and a waste of taxpayers money. In Britain thousands of industrial jobs from small and medium sized enterprises went bust and nobody cared about it. Why now? BMW tried in vain to turn Rover into a profitable operation. Their main mistake was to allow incapable local management to run the company in order not to hurt British sentiments. It seems management is still the same.
Juergen, Simbach, Germany
The simple fact is that Rover produce cars that not enough people want to buy. Commentators have endlessly criticised lack of boot space, legroom and headroom in key models, and a absence of a "People Carrier" in the range. Compare this to the model BMW sensibly retained and re-engineered: the Mini. This is a runaway success - because it is a sexy, modern and sporty car that people of all ages want to buy. Rover is a private company failed by its management - not the UK government.
Alan, Croydon, Surrey
I am currently employed at Rover, Longbridge. Friday's news was a complete shock to all of us. We knew we were in trouble as we were building cars with parts left off due to lack of supplies. This had been going on for months, but we were told on Friday that we were only being paid until Monday as MG had no money left! The government has failed us. I won't be voting Labour again after this fiasco.
Mrs Angie Waters, Birmingham
I was a skilled worker at Rover, and they made the point that me and the rest of the skilled workers were not needed, that's why they're in trouble. Let the taxes me, my family and friends have paid save it.
James, Longbridge
If Rover cannot be saved, the next best solution is to find enough to fill the pension deficit and reduce the impacts on parts suppliers. Perhaps a deal could still be had with SAIC who may be interested in buying the Rover brand and the remainder of the car designs and technologies. A parts supply deal can be part of the agreement.
Dennis, Hemel Hempstead
| In the coming weeks and months, it is my belief Rover will be sold in pieces |
With the rise in gas prices and the consolidation in the automotive industry it was only time before Rover would be affected. I do not think anything can be done to keep Rover together. In the coming weeks and months, it is my belief Rover will be sold in pieces. As soon as I heard that Rover went into receivership to me it was Rover's obituary.
Brian, Leeds
Killed by Labour, and not for the first time. When will they ever learn? If you don't support and promote UK companies - they either go abroad or die.
Lucy Bird, Southampton, Hants
I bet the Chinese bunch will be back in the running as soon as Rover has gone bust. Standard practice: if you're buying an ailing business, it's cheaper to drag out negotiations until the business dies. You can then buy it for a song from the receivers. I think Mrs Hewitt knows this, but somehow has not been able to prevent this from happening.
Matthew Hannagan, Hemel
The problem is, time and again we see government intervention, no matter how well intentioned, inevitably results in disaster. The fact that MG Rover is dying is because the market is telling us something, there isn't room for this car maker anymore. If you fight the market, you will always loose. If government continually bailed out failing businesses the UK would rapidly become very uncompetitive. The job losses are sad but we cannot sacrifice long term economic health for short term gains.
Oliver Keating, Oxford, UK If Rover is shut down, workers could move and apply for a job at Toyota UK, which seems to be needing qualified staff. Here in Norway the Avensis is a top seller and I can not remember the last time I saw a Rover here.
A. Kemp, Bergen, Norway
In the same way that Skoda slipped away and then got re-invented as a 'desirable' motor, this should happen with Rover.
Duncan, Essex
Close the place down, the cars are rubbish. I had a brand new rover and it broke down in the first week. Close the factory and put the money into something that would help the area. This company is finished.
Doug Smith, Chelmsford
When ribbing our German colleagues about England 5 - Germany 1, one of them replied "Well, we are still having a car industry".
Brian, UK
We are all to blame. We Brits refuse to buy our own products, unlike the Americans who only buy their own products. They look at imported goods as a last resort.
Jon, Bristol
Why has it taken Mr Blair till now to offer support? Could it be because of the election?
Mags Dowie, Doncaster
It is a shame for all those involved but I don't think tax payers' money should be used to help a private business whatever the consequences of closure.
Simon, Brentwood, Essex
Surely the government will not allow all those people to lose their jobs within weeks of an election? Rover must look to its quality control, they are a long way behind Japanese makes in this regard. Here in Africa we used to say that if you bought a British car you qualified for a free oil leak!! Quality is what people buy these days, no room for patriotism.
A A Gray, Johannesburg, South Africa The government should help Rover. How can the British people just sit there and do nothing?
Kenneth, Stockholm
It's the age old story of British companies. It's blatantly obvious that Rover have been in trouble for a number of years as we can see from the lack of new models being released. It's a shame, but if it doesn't go now it is only a matter of time.
Andy, Lancashire
MG was turning the corner to success, but Rover has been a damaged brand for so long that I wonder whether there is salvation. Sometimes things just have to be left to die. I'd be happier to see my taxes help new business, rather than yet another rescue.
Alex Carroll, Whitehaven
It has become especially clear in this age that national pride and brand loyalty only go so far. General Motors is learning it in the US, Rover should have learned it decades ago.
Ariel Makepeace Winterbreucke, New York City I used to work for Lucas, another past great Midlands automotive company. I was made redundant eight years ago in one of their 'downsizings'. Looking back, I can see that I was working for a company that was not really able to compete in the world automotive markets. I took the loss of my job as an opportunity, now earn significantly more with a different career, and am much happier. I hope all those who lose their job at Rover all the success I have had in changing careers, and all the best to those that stay behind to build British sports cars - the only really viable part of the business.
Tim, Birmingham, UK
This loss should shame both Labour and Tory governments. Dropping trade barriers is ruining our industry, and after everyone has spent their cash on house price rises and loans, what else is going to keep the economy afloat? I drive an Austin Mini. The spares are British made and I'm proud to back Britain. Will everyone else do the same? It may be your job next.
Richard, UK
Rover models are looking weary, I admit. However, they are extremely well built and the roads are awash with them. Go on - count them next time you drive. I agree that cash cannot be constantly thrown at a company BUT there is so much more at stake here. If Skoda, once the butt of many a joke alongside, Lada, Wartburg and Moscovich can be turned around, then with government support so can Rover.
Phil Bromley, Preston Lancs
Will this crisis interfere with the production of the MG car and any possibility of exporting it to the US?
Clifford E. Mc Lean, Couer d' Alene, ID USA
I own two Rovers and I hope that this company will keep going for years to come. Rover cars are the best for quality and price and the need for new models in my opinion is not essential.
David Kendall, United Kingdom
| I am happy to see my tax going into investment |
So, it's either pay unemployment for several thousand people, plus allied suppliers, and probably pay for higher crime following boredom in a frustrated workforce, or invest that money into the workforce? I am happy to see my tax going into investment, and bring in new management and new models with joint enterprises with Honda etc again. Otherwise it is clear that New Labour actually stands for "New Labour for Service industries" only.
Phil W, UK The failure of Rover is purely down to poor management. Whose idea was it to develop a �65,000 sports car that nobody wanted. If there is to be a future for the company sack the management.
Gary, Birmingham
Yes, when these skills are lost they will be gone forever, just like steel making and coal mining. Even the call centre jobs are going abroad. UK cannot sustain itself with retail parks selling imported goods. Time GB Plc showed some backbone and took a stand. The government has never given MG Rover a penny, previous companies shared a name nothing more. This deal can mean a lot for UK as China is a massive potential trading partner. The press have has far too much to say bringing this company to its knees, if MGR goes I hope BBC and Fleet Street is next.
Matt, Oxford
I took delivery of a new Rover 75 last year. I also own a MGF. They are both superb cars, and more people should realise just how good they are now instead of thinking about how things were 20 years ago. MG Rover deserves to survive, knowing the effort being made to produce quality cars. My 75 is every bit as good as the German competition. The MG's looks also match up with any other 2 - seat sports car available today.
Chris Wilson, Stoke on Trent UK
It's just another nail in the coffin of the UK manufacturing and engineering industry. This sort of thing has been happening for the past decade why does the government seem so surprised? Do they really believe their own lies? I am an engineer with 30 years experience and I am having to work in Germany because of this decline! The truth is the economy is not thriving as the Gordon Brown tells us. Its sinking fast! All we are left with are service sector and public sector jobs only. How sustainable is that in the long run Gordon?
Steve Emptage, Ulm , Germany Rovers executives have a lot to answer for after taking huge pay rises whilst they were struggling to earn a profit. Money they clearly need now to have had any chance of a deal with SAIC.
Bruce Terras-Smith, Cookham, UK
Rover make bad cars. They are outdated, poorly made and imported cars will always offer better value for money. All this talk of un patriotic car buying is nonsense. People will always buy the best car at the right price for them, not where it is made. I feel for the people who will lose their jobs, but when a company is no longer profitable people will always lose their jobs. RIP Rover.
James, Dartford Kent
Am I being cynical, or is it convenient that the collapse came the day after the new pension fund safeguards came into force? Maybe the management were thinking of the workers after all!
Roger, Wilthshire, UK
The government should buy the company, reinvigorate it and then sell it. The brand is the most important thing and I am sure the British public will buy more MG Rover cars. They just need some new car designs to attract new owners.
Mr T, Oxford, UK
I used to live near the Longbridge plant and I feel deeply for the people working there. However, it is clear that Stephen Byers when Industry Secretary did a cheap and grubby deal to keep Rover going at the time for reasons of political expediency. In truth, the Phoenix Consortium did offer the best long term prospect for keeping the name and some manufacturing at the plant alive for the longer term.
Richard Marriott, Kidderminster, England
| Everything should be done to achieve viability for MG Rover; a deal with the Chinese could make sense and allow Longbridge a profitable future. |
Everything should be done to achieve viability for MGRover; a deal with the Chinese could make sense and allow Longbridge a profitable future. Manufacturing adds value and creates wealth; we will all have to pay more taxes to meet the public services we all want if we replace Longbridge with another retail park. Rover was successful and profitable in 1990s and was hailed as an example of British industrial renewal. It could be again as part of this tie-up. This is not an issue of manufacturing cost being too high in the UK, it's a question of producing the right aspirational product (eg. The new Mini- really an MGRover product! made at Cowley where supply can't meet demand). Is it cheaper to manufacture in Germany? France? Belgium? Italy? No. MGRover is trying to do a deal with a state owned company! The Chinese Government understands the importance of having a major player in this industry. The British Government probably does as well, but actually has no power over the matter. EU trade rules mean our `government' has less `power' and influence than that of a Parish Council. This should make the British public realise the true implications of our EU membership. Don't forget Rolls Royce Aero Engines were bankrupt in the 1970s and are now the third largest manufacturer in the world and earning hundreds of millions of pounds for the country every year. State aid achieved that and this should be the role of an empowered Government answerable to its electorate.
David Yetton, Egham, UK As a director of a small company that is currently owed �70k by MG Rover, I would hate to see the company close - if only for the sake of my own employees, as we will struggle mightily to absorb the non payment of what is a substantial sum of money for us. However, recent revelations indicate that MG Rover is clearly not a sustainable operation in its current form, and I don't see how one could make a convincing business case for the government to loan them the money they are asking for.
Alan Clunnie, Warwick, Warwickshire
What a joke, everyone complaining about Rover closing when they've got German, Japanese and Italian cars sat in the driveway. Get real, if people had bought British, the company would still be viable.
Os, Bristol, Uk
| The government should not prop up losers, British or otherwise. |
These comments about the burden of tax and government bureaucracy apply equally to all companies manufacturers in the UK. They can't explain Rover's demise when others succeed in the same environment. It may hurt in the short-term, but for our long-term good the government should not prop up losers, British or otherwise.
Steven Baker, Cambridge Those calling for Rover to be saved should look at what they are driving at the moment. I very much doubt many of them will be driving Rover cars. Put your money where your mouth is and buy one, this is the help they need not more government loans.
Giles Jones, Staffordshire, UK
Yes the government needs to save Rover. Not only for the thousands of jobs it will save but because this type of thing keeps happening to British firms. Britain was once at the forefront of things, shipbuilding, aircraft manufacturing and car production. Europe has managed to keep their industries going, and yet we have lost ours and are about to lose the last...
Danny , Manchester
Here we go again. Bash the management time. As someone on this board correctly pointed out, where have been the workers all this time? What have they been doing to create new designs and up the dreadful Rover brand? What have the workers been doing about putting their own money where their big mouths are, as the directors have? What have the workers done to reduce the costs of production to increase the profitability, instead of being entrenched in their business-suffocating trade union working practices? I have no sympathy for the Rover workers. They're as much to blame as the management in this.
Jackie, Wallingford, UK
Whilst it is always sad when jobs are lost, why should the government keep bailing out huge companies who clearly aren't good enough to compete with the big boys. Though with an election looming what's the betting the good old government comes up trumps.
Dave, Wolverhampton
This country's economy is built upon foundations of straw - credit cards and over inflated house prices. We have to retain and develop industries where we actually pay our way in the world. MG Rover was still a huge export earner and when the credit boom ends without the likes of MG Rover earning us some money this country will be bankrupt.
Jon Butler, Oxford, UK
| A sad day for the British manufacturing industry |
A sad day for the British manufacturing industry and a damning condemnation of the current Government's industrial policy. Who would have thought a Labour Government would have presided over a reduction of over 1 million UK manufacturing jobs.
John Whiteley, Mansfield, UK Negotiating business deals with Chinese firms, particularly those with state backing, takes understanding, mutual trust built up over time and endless patience. It's unfortunate that Rover was not financially strong enough to be able to see the deal through to the end. Although also worth bearing in mind that there is not much we can teach the Chinese about production line efficiency, and taking on the staff at Rover was probably never part of the plan from Shanghai.
Jon C, London
This will have a devastating impact on those in the plant and the ancillary companies that depend on MG Rover such as suppliers, local shops and businesses. The potential number of jobs affected here is 20,000 in a concentrated area of the country. There's simply no way that 20,000 people can be quickly retrained as other, rather selfish, posters imply. The Government should have done something to resolve this.
Jon, Manchester
I simply cannot believe the idiocy of those people expecting the government to bail out a private company. It's only when the government get involved that businesses run fat. Why can't people see that politicians have never run a sweet shop never mind a manufacturing business. How many times will it take the public to see that public companies never ever work?
Nick, Worcester, England
| Try a change in management and give this manufacturer another chance |
Yet another British industry going to the wall! Being an ex-coal miner I can appreciate how the workers at MG Rover feel. It's about time the government did step in and help our own industry, rather than throwing money at those companies from abroad who pull out at the slightest drop in profits. Try a change in management and give this manufacturer another chance. We should support British industry!
Gordon MacPherson, Seaham, Co. Durham, England Rover has failed to invest in new models and has suffered from a lack of dynamic management. We cannot afford, and under EU law will not be allowed, to support failed companies. I feel sorry for a loyal and skilled workforce who have been poorly served by greedy directors.
Martin Husbands, Monmouth Wales
If MG Rover disappears, it will be a sad day in motoring history, the last great British volume car maker. As a nation of new car buyers that seems to favour the idea of buying foreign makes, maybe we should all bow our heads in shame and acknowledge our contribution to their demise. I really hope there is some way of saving this company. It must not be left to become a thing of the past.
Darron Carnall (former Austin Rover employee), Whitby, North Yorkshire
The government has a duty to maintain a healthy manufacturing base within the UK. The costs of retraining and attracting new businesses into the area will outstrip those required to keep MG Rover afloat. Failure to do this from the government symbolises its desire to end manufacturing in the UK. This can only lead to future economic problems after all "if you make nowt what have you got to sell?"
Joseph Archer, Richmond
I have a superbly built new Honda that was made in Swindon, so the British car industry is not dead. But nor is it sacred. Rover had to stand on its own feet and there's nothing a government can do to fix individual businesses.
Mark Fulford, Southampton, UK
This seems to be just another case of selling off the family silver again! How odd it is that we welcome foreign companies to build cars in the UK, no doubt with massive financial incentive packages, yet we wash our hands of our own heritage! It will be a sad day that our last manufacturer is dragged under by our greedy, selfish "city" vultures. Whoever apparently prematurely said that MG Rover were in receivership is unfit to manage any situation whatsoever, is devastatingly incompetent and should be removed immediately. There is nothing wrong with MG Rover that proper, competitive UK industry and city support could not help into profit but that obviously is one step too far for most of our ministers and leaders of industry to cross. Another scandalous national tragedy.
Gregory O'Riordan, Sutton, Surrey
The directors have already put their own money into the business yet there remain various comments about them doing more and freezing their assets and handing it back to the workers. If there are 6,000 workers and Rover needs �100m this amounts to about �16,600 per worker - what are the staff doing to save the company? How many have offered to re-mortgage their own homes and/or to take wage cuts to save Rover? After all, it's in their interest more than anyone else, yet they expect the whole country to pay via taxes. Save your jobs, invest in the business. If it's as good as you say, what have you got to lose?
Will, Leeds, W Yorkshire
While I feel for the workers, why should the taxpayer have to foot the bill? There are many struggling companies in the UK, and I don't see the government pouring money into them.
Mark Colyer, Maidstone, UK
At least lets get our facts right. Rover cars are not rubbish and never have been. The Rover 75 is a fantastically good car, It's as good as a Jaguar for much less cost. Whatever the fate of the company let's not do down their products. (I have owned three 75s and would like to have traded in my present one for another when the time comes). Today is a sad, sad day for Rover, Birmingham and the UK. I only hope everyone who has bought foreign-made cars is hanging their heads in shame. RIP Rover, I for one will miss you.
Sarah Savill, England
I take it that all those making the 'You're unpatriotic if you buy a foreign car' argument don't eat New Zealand lamb, Spanish oranges or any of the other thousands of foreign food products available in supermarkets? Do they drink only English wine and beer? Do they not buy clothes from high street stores (the vast majority being made in the Far East)? Of course not. The fact is that people will buy what best suits their needs and desires and if Rover failed to make cars that people want then they cannot expect the taxpayer to bail them out
Joe, Newcastle, Staffordshire
This was to be expected, Rover have had to sell at rock bottom prices in the last few years which did not permit them to fill up a treasure chest with which to develop a new car. If people don't want to buy this car the manufacturer will have to go bust and all people who whine about the decline of the British car industry should just ask themselves what kind of car they drive, probably NOT a Rover...
Andres Kruse, London, UK
I can't believe that if the Peugeot in France or Mercedes in Germany were in the same position, their governments would stand by and let this happen. They would get round any EU rules regarding assistance somehow.
Derek Selby, Bolton, Lancs
This brings further disgrace on British management, unions, financiers and government. When one sees that the company has invested only about �50M in R&D per year when a company like BMW invests well over �1000M this result is hardly surprising.
Jim, UK
I, like countless others, had the misfortune to own more than one of the incredibly unreliable and badly made cars produced by the predecessors of MG Rover, and like most of my peers I swore I'd never buy one again. And that's the heart of the problem. Buyers deserted the marque in their thousands in the '70s and '80s, and never returned. You can't survive as a car maker unless you're either very big, or very specialist, and MG Rover are neither. Why on earth should the government bail out a privately owned business just because it's failing?
John, England
Its clear MG-Rover cannot be saved in its present form. Even if the government stepped in its throwing good money after bad. The Rover brand is so baldy damaged that is should be scrapped. The company should then use the MG brand to turn itself into a specialist firm- like Cosworth and Cooper and do a deal with another manufacture to produce customised versions of existing models. That way at least some jobs can be saved
Keith Wilson, Beckenhmam, EnglandHow many of us are free of blame where MG Rover is concerned? The British people who bought foreign cars and exported our jobs. The sad fact is that MG Rover has never produced cars as good as they are today but they have become dated and there is no money to develop a new model. MG Rover will probably close, the site will be turned into another housing estate and the workers will have to try and survive by selling hamburgers to each other! I am sorry to think of Longbridge (where many of my family have worked) closing, Austin added to the long list of names that Birmingham was famous for when it was the workshop of the world. But most of all I am sorry for the families of the men and women who work at Longbridge and the devastation they must be experiencing. We all could have made a difference!
John Adams, Solihull UK
This is a shocking and sad state of affairs. But I really think those most culpable are the management, they have obviously not done anything like their job yet rewarded themselves handsomely for it. Get rid of them all, with no stupid bonuses or anything, for a start. It might not save Rover but it would probably cheer the majority of the workforce up a bit.
Ruth, Sheffield, UK
How is it possible that the Chinese can be so interested in Rover's technology, yet may Britons fail to see the quality of Rover's better products? Why is this country so full of blinkered people? Why has MG-Rover failed to capitalise on the successes of its better models (MG and R75) and instead stupidly got involved in the CityRover fiasco? Why has its TV advertising being non-existent? There is not a single party in this equation - Rover, the government, the British people - who has not contributed to this fiasco.
Michael Kilpatrick, Cambridge UK
I fail to see why the government should offer any help just because Rover is a British company. Why pump money into a sinking ship? Rover is in the situation they are because of poor management and dated cars.
Dave, Reading, UK
I'm deeply sorry for and sympathetic to the staff & production workers at Longbridge. However, having owned two disastrous Rover SDI cars in the 1980's, received little assistance or help from Rover and consequently vowed never buy any of their products in future I'm reminded that only satisfied customers make for viable businesses. Rover lost my vote years ago and that of many others. The fundamental problem is that too few people consequently bought their cars.
John Stratford , Chester
| The knock-on effect for all of us who live around the factory is going to be devastating |
As the wife of a Rover employee who has given 20 years of his working life to the company, I am disheartened with the comments of people who are happy to see the plant closed. The knock-on effect for all of us who live around the factory is going to be devastating, I can actually see one of the gates from my house, so I know what I am talking about, my family have been employed by Rover for as many years as I can remember, my grandparents worked there too. As the last BRITISH car manufacturing surely we should do every thing we can to ensure it continues?
Debbie, Birmingham, UK I work for Bookham Technology in Paignton Devon, formerly Nortel Networks. At one point 5,500 people were employed here. With manufacturing going to China the headcount is soon to be reduced to approximately 360. What have the government done about stepping in to save the jobs in Torbay where the total population is a lot less than it is in Birmingham.
Karen Green, Paignton Devon England
Is there a restriction in the law that states that the loan of �100m couldn't have been for two years as the SAIC wanted? Perhaps a two year loan instead of one year could have done the trick and kept MG Rover afloat.
Abid Bashir, Shipley, West Yorkshire
As a born and bred Brummie, I can't tell you how distraught this news has made me and my family. The reality for my family and others who have connections to this terrible mess is that it may be a Bob Cratchett's Christmas this year with my eldest son Mark playing Tiny Tim!
Ian Sharp, Birmingham
| Those who say Rover cars are rubbish have obviously never been inside one |
Having driven a Rover 75 I can only say what a fantastic bargain they are, so much luxury at a low price, very quiet to drive. In fact you feel like you have conned the dealer out of money. Those who say Rover cars are rubbish have obviously never been inside one.
Mike, London UK
This really shows the inefficiency of the government, especially allowing this to happen days after an election call. It shows that the government hasn't been monitoring the situation at Rover at all. Gross ineptitude when there's 20,000 jobs at stake. If Labour give money, they'll be paying Rover's debts and buying themselves out.
Neil, Alsager, UK
Surprise Surprise! Yet again another traditional British company let down by this government. The government only cares about how strong the pound is which is putting the British businesses out of business. If I had the money to get MG Rover out the clear I would gladly give it to them.
Karen Bieles, Solihull
I notice how all the people who think Rover should go and 'tough luck' to the workers at both Rover and their suppliers and the effect of the region live totally outside the area and will not be effected at all - I wonder how they would feel in the same situation?
Vicki Bowen, Birmingham
I used to work for Leyland Cars (as it was then) until 1976 and it was the inept management then that ruined the Rover foundation by effecting an Austin Morris takeover of the Rover brand. The company never really recovered from that and no government has had the will to sort it out.
Mike Parkes, Kettering, England
| Personally, I think Rover should be bought by the British government |
Personally, I think Rover should be bought by the British government, so we have completely British cars - and to off-set the privatisation of other sectors. That would allow the government to also ensure that cars meeting their ideals can be launched onto the market, and could introduce cars that suit their transport goals with a reduced mark-up to promote them.
David, London
Most of the critics of Rover cars have never owned or even driven one. People who have seem to be pretty loyal to the brand and the MG brand is doing well. Police forces could have done more to support Rover MG instead of indulging police drivers with foreign cars at the taxpayers' expense. Fiat, Renault, Skoda and the mushrooming range from the Far East have all been subsidised through troubled times and it is certain that India and China will do the same.
Ken, England
It's time to get rid of Rover; it's already been bailed out before let's not waste any more taxpayers' money on this dead horse. As for the pension fund or lack of it, the managers and directors are ultimately responsible so perhaps if they were on the same wages as the workers the fund would be sound. Freeze the assets of the managers and directors and pay it back to the work force, they've earned it
G Thompson, Essex
I bought a Rover four years ago to support the UK car industry and have been so pleased with it that I had plans to buy another when it needs replacing. But sad to say our roads are flooded with foreign cars and the government has done nothing to stem the flood of imports. The demise of MG Rover had been forecast before, but nothing has been done nothing to intervene and support it.
Patricia, Bristol, Bristol UK
| As much as I feel sorry for the workers, the country cannot keep throwing money at this industry |
As much as I feel sorry for the workers, the country cannot keep throwing money at this industry. Reading the reports the management should shoulder the blame of not handling the firm properly and I hope that when the plug is finally pulled there will be no massive payments to them, but given to the workers.
B Thomson, Bristol I own a small business and would never expect to be bailed out by the government, the truth however is that businesses like mine are part of the "food chain" that relies on large companies like Rover for our livelihood. The collapse of Rover would affect thousands of people and would be detrimental to our economy. We need to act now, otherwise government ministers begging Chinese officials will become the norm
Russell Brockett, Nottingham, UK
The only thing more disgusting than the "get rich at the expense of the workers" attitude shown by the directors is the attitude of the British press who have been doing their level best to sabotage the talks. Bad news is much better for this flock of circling vultures.
YanG, Daventry, UK
Yes the government should intervene. They should take over MG Rover and change the way it works. They should also raise import taxes for foreign cars as other countries do.
Tony, UK
Remember Triumph Motorcycles? It all ended in tears for them, but what happened? New money, new managers, new technology and new models, and now they can't make them fast enough ! The new Triumphs go to show that we Brits really can manufacture machines that are as good if not better than anyone else can make. It just needs someone in charge who knows what they are doing and that understands what the market wants. Let's see Rover reborn as another Triumph. It can be done!
Stew Mercer, Milton Keynes, UK We'll be paying 20,000 people to claim the dole (indefinitely). Would it not be better to prop the company up until it can bring the new models on line? The British should be ashamed for not supporting MG Rover. After all they are the ones who have bought foreign vehicles.
Mark Davis, Rugby, UK
Very sad for those who are losing their jobs but, ultimately not a surprise. Why should my taxes be used to bail out a failed company? OK, so a lot of people will end up unemployed for a while, which will cost money. However, the reality is the workers of Longbridge will probably find jobs fairly quickly in this economy. Albeit not building cars which no one wants.
Alistair, Wakefield, UK
Give that woman an Oscar! Patricia Hewitt's lip-trembling performance was almost convincing. But if MG has gone into administration surely it's up to the company to announce it, not for the government to get in there first and sell us some sob story about how they did their best to save them? My heart goes out to the thousands of families affected by this crisis. I wonder how many votes Labour has just lost. And how much soaring unemployment rates in this region will cost the country?
Annette, Warwick
I think it's the end of the road, and I'm surprised it's taken so long. You can't blame the government or BMW, the fault lies squarely with the people running the company. They don't understand how to make and sell cars people want.
Duncan Lowe, Stafford, England What a spineless government we have. Any other country' government would have moved heaven and earth to save its indigenous car industry. This government talks big and does nothing. I have owned many Rover cars and found them to be excellent, good quality vehicles, certainly better than the one, from one of their competitors, that I regrettably have to drive at the moment.
Mike Shattock, Reading
Perhaps the greatest chancellor this century could explain how increasing Rover's employers' National Insurance contributions and taxing their pension fund has helped the company. Don't forget the myriad of other restrictions and regulations that have been imposed on the company either.
Nick Priest, Stroud
My gut feeling is that Rover should get help, if only as an attempt to save a diminishing British industrial base. I also think that by continuing to sell off British industries, we will reach a point where we might as well sell the country.
R Cowlard, Warwickshire
Rover had simply past it's sell by date. That 100 million would be better dedicated to generating jobs in more promising and secure opportunities for the workers of Longbridge than keeping a dying company artificially alive. The industry is going east and we must find new ways to earn a living.
Simon, Nottingham
| The government have done the right thing, rather than prop up an ailing company |
The government have done the right thing, rather than prop up an ailing company. I suspect that SAIC were not interested in maintaining jobs in the UK, but simply wanted Rover's technology and would in any case have moved everything back to China where labour is cheap. It's a shame that the directors were allowed to milk Rover for their own benefit: �40 million in pay and pension contributions, and ownership of the successful parts of Rover eg car finance. The workers pension fund has suffered as a result.
Leif Goodwin, Slough, UK The government should use the �100 million to help the people whose jobs are at risk to retrain and find work more appropriate to our economy and the times.
Stephen, Brighton
For a long time the government has not supported, or in anyway encouraged, keeping a major British car manufacturer going. If you go to Germany the police force drive VW and other German makes. The same goes for France where the authorities will drive French cars. Here in Britain our taxes are being spent on foreign vehicles. In no other country have I ever seen such a lack of patriotism. More fool us.
Richard Weetman, Birmingham, UK
Each week about 150,000 people get a new job. Over 200,000 people are made redundant every year. I am sorry for the individuals, but what is the big fuss?
Mike Richmond, Guildford, England
I don't think the government should save Rover. Pumping more money into the company isn't going to make people buy the cars. What the company needs is customers. Sadly, I bet most of the people that want the company to be saved don't own a Rover or MG.
Mike Rogers, Liverpool
| Why is no one in this country patriotic enough to buy British? David Rowlands, Bournemouth, Dorset |
If you go to France, everyone drives French cars, Italy, Italian cars! Why is no one in this country patriotic enough to buy British? I have had three Rovers and am looking to buy my first MG shortly! Coming up to an election you would think that saving Rover would be a good notion, 6,000 + 18,000 - that's a lot of votes lost! And the money the government would have loaned Rover will now be used to compensate their employees and suppliers! Isn't that great - it could have saved Rover by securing the deal! Fools!
David Rowlands, Bournemouth, Dorset There would be hope for Rover if the government really wanted it. France took over Renault to stop it going under and indeed it's still part state-owned now - but it's doing really well. The same could happen with Rover - if the government wants it to. If this government doesn't save Rover, our last remaining volume car maker, it will live to regret it at the polls.
Steve Bassett, Birmingham, England
Britain's roads are clogged with too many cars already. Halting production of any more vehicles is to be encouraged. When are people going to realise that car ownership is not a status symbol but an indication of how financially foolish they are - allowing the Labour government to tax drivers beyond the hilt. Freedom is NOT owning a car. Rover has been a millstone for too long and should be allowed to fade away.
B Smith, Thames Ditton, Surrey. UK
Enough money has been wasted on that company just to keep a national car manufacturer - its time the company closed.
JJ, London
You should not be rewarded with hand-outs for producing rubbish cars that no-one wants. If a shop in the local high street sells rubbish then no-one goes there and it goes bust. No-one steps in to help them, Rover is no different.
Graham, Newcastle
No the government should not intervene; it is a private company which has pumped out shockingly outdated and outclassed cars for far too long. If it can't make any money then it should close, like any other business in the same financial situation.
Robin, Twickenham, Middlesex
The union movement basically ruined the whole Leyland group from the start onwards atart onwards astart onwards and upwards. Now to support it? With small farmers having to face no subsidy, why should Rover group have it instead?
Rich Walters, Altdorf, Switzerland
Emphatically Yes. Our last volume car manufacturer employs over 6,000 people directly and about 20,000 indirectly. Take into account all the lost ancillary industries if MG Rover closes and you are looking at meltdown in Britain's manufacturing heartland. Without a sound manufacturing base this country will be much poorer. Take a good look at the products- and don't accept what people who know nothing about them say - they are good cars, some of them are excellent. Take a look at what they have in the pipeline, they just need to be given the chance to get this deal done and in five years from now we can all say aren't we glad we saved MG Rover.
Ben Cann, Lincoln, UK
I think Rover will probably go under now, the sad thing is that if it did survive and the SAIC deal went through 10 years from now Rover would almost certainly be in a very different financial position due to the massive increase in China's car market and the strong position the SAIC deal would have given Rover in that market.
John Crawshaw, Lincolnshire, UK
Whatever the cost to the government to keep Rover going, the cost of not helping would be 100 times worse. Not only do you then create a pocket of mass unemployment in the Midlands, you also put all of Rover's suppliers out of business. The effect of a lack of manufacturing is going to affect all businesses in the area from local shops to leisure outlets. Rover should not simply be "saved" but a deal to assure their outdated models are replaced that people will actually want to buy.
Steve Matthews, Newcastle Upon Tyne
If the company needs to borrow money, they should go to the bank like everyone else!!!
Andrew, Sutton, Surrey
| People should support UK manufacturing and spend their hard earned money in the UK |
Yes the government should save MG Rover. People continue to buy German and French rubbish which has caused this problem. People should support UK manufacturing and spend their hard earned money in the UK. Rover cars are very good quality. They need money though. Give them a chance
Mikey, London, UK No. Why should we the taxpayer (through the government) subsidise any failing business? If they can't make a profit on their own, why should we have to chip in?
Steve Bee, Manchester, UK
Yes, I think Rover does need the government money. Britain is on its knees and will soon have no manufacturing left! We will one day just be a laugh to the EU and have to import everything! All jobs will go! It is about time that this country supports its own jobs and products instead of purchasing goods from other countries! Imagine how you would feel if you were told if you had no job tomorrow when you have stood by a company so long?
Neil, Bath
| Rover is a victim of the consumer's demand to get something for nothing which is driving prices lower and lower |
It would be a sad loss if Rover closed. However, it is partly due to bad management practice but mainly it is because Rover is a victim of the consumer's demand to get something for nothing which is driving prices lower and lower and this is what puts people out of business and potentially leads to a recession.
Ian, UK I am afraid they just don't seem to be able to compete with the Japanese cars for reliability. I don't see why my money should bail them out when they can't make a reliable car. Lets rather spend that money on making our railways safer.
Martin Yates, Surrey England
Yes they should grant the loan. The government has wasted hundreds of millions on projects like the Millennium Dome as well as new IT systems for the likes of the Inland Revenue that don't work. Therefore, that �100m seems like money well spent if it can help save the livelihoods of thousands of workers here in the West Midlands.
Paul Phillips, Birmingham UK
| There's a reason why it's run out of money |
There's a reason why it's run out of money. Because it makes cars no one wants to buy, both the Rover and to slightly lesser extent MG badges are tarnished goods and it's unlikely to ever be revived.
James, Hull, UK Its not just the jobs at Longbridge that will go if Rover goes bust. It is the thousands of other jobs at all of Rover suppliers. Of course the government should step in, and it would not breach EU laws, Rover would be receiving a loan, not a subsidy.
Joe, Solihull, England
Yes, nationalise it! After all, Ted Heath took Rolls Royce into state ownership in the 70s to save it, now Labour should do the same.
Sacha, Laleham
What's cheaper? Dole for the redundant workers or a bridging loan to save Rover?
Lawrence, Sheffield, UK
Can the government authorise this sort of funding once an election is called? I have had some dealings with government departments in the past and I know that as a general rule they don't fund anything in the run up to the election.
Allan , Malpas, Cheshire
I think that the sad truth is that Rover group has had its day. The Government is, on the one hand, adding more and more taxes to the motorists to try to reduce car usage. Now the government is expected to provide a loan to bail out a company that is producing cars that people don't want.
Jez, Hertford, UK
With a general election less than one month away, 6,000 jobs at bay, and many more reliant on the outcome of these talks, will the government not view this as a sure fire way of securing votes, and hence grant the loan?
Mark, Valencia, Spain
| Propping up failed companies has never worked in the past and only perpetuates the problem |
You don't reward failure. Propping up failed companies has never worked in the past and only perpetuates the problem. There is clearly a problem with Rover in that they just can't produce quality cars that people want. No amount of money is going to change that.
RK, Grimsby The government should not intervene with this. No other company would be given a loan to help them, why should Rover? I know of many small independent British-owned businesses that haven't cut it and they went bust. The government gave them no money. What's special about Rover?
Martin, Glasgow
No. It'd be a shame to see the company go down the pan, but it's been in death throes for years and you have to say 'enough is enough' at some point. Please, put it out of its misery.
John Fox, Halifax, Yorkshire
Rover has been run like a charity for the last 30 years. Honda realised this soon after taking over and could not wait to get rid of it to BMW. BMW, in turn, were nearly dragged under by the perpetually sinking ship which is Rover, a ship which needs to be scuttled, once and for all.
Andy Twiss, Birmingham, UK
| This situation could only have been allowed to happen in Britain |
This situation could only have been allowed to happen in Britain. France, Italy, Germany, Japan, etc. would never allow a company like this to die. Rover is too ver is too important: once its gone its gone for good. It MUST be saved.
John, Luton I know this may sound cruel as it is people's jobs involved. I have my own business and if I get in financial trouble no one will bail me out. It's tough.
Philip Smith, North Wales
Rover should be nationalised if necessary. 20,000 jobs are on the line, losing them will destroy the area. We have lost countless manufacturing jobs over the last few years. Time to stop it. The workforce and their families have been betrayed more than once, this would be wrong. Perhaps someone should ask if the Secretary for Industry and the PM has ever been on the dole. Renault is a state-owned company, the EU rules are to protect it. 20,000 is a lot, so give them the money, or better still, nationalise it. And the trains.
Thomas Hayes, Wigan, Lancashire
If Rover's costs are too high to compete, how do Japanese businesses manage? The answer is that Japanese businesses invest in other Japanese businesses. What's worrying isn't that Rover are dying, but that not one single British investor is capable of stepping up and backing them.
Colin MacDonald, Glasgow, Scotland
MG Rover ownership has changed hands so many times before, and its failure with BMW has been classic business school case studies. Is that UK government loan really money well spent? Imagine how that amount of money (the interests on the loan lost due to the cheap lending rate) can be used elsewhere in much better causes for the British people.
S H Wong, Xiang Gang, China
Government intervention does not work, Rover's history is a classic example (BMC, BLMC etc). Difficult though it will be for the workforce, Rover's future must succeed or fail on its own abilities, not funded by the taxpayer.
Kevin Cooper, Leyland, Lancs The government should prop up Rover. They give money out hand over fist to other causes. Keep Rover British-owned and staffed.
Charles Lee, Bradford WY
Rover has been passed from pillar to post and starved of the investment needed to bring new models to market. There's every chance that Rover could accept the loan, complete the SAIC deal, invest in new models and in two years time sales could go through the roof, enough to pay back the loan and sustain future development. Why shouldn't they be given that chance? For the first time in decades Rover are truly independent and should be given this chance to prove their worth.
Paul, Bromsgrove, England
The demise of manufacturing in this country is down to the costs of production. We are a service and high tech economy. It's not the 70s anymore, get over it.
Dan, Leeds
| What can be worse than lurching from one crisis to another? |
No - what can be worse than lurching from one crisis to another? Time for a clean slate for all the workers rather than this constant uncertainty. They will need a lot of support and retraining but that has got to be better than pouring money down the drain.
Jon, UK Anyone from the UK who wishes Rover to close is a thoughtless idiot. We all live and work in Britain plc and are all affected by this. Do any of you know how much it will cost to pay for 20,000 unemployment benefits?
Jim, Cowley, Oxford
I drive am MGF VVC sports car. It still makes me smile even after 95,000 miles of superb performance. It is "the" British sports car, and attracts a lot of attention wherever I go. I love it, and I am grateful to the workers and designers in Birmingham who have built a car to be proud of.
Christopher M Brinson, Tewin, Welwyn, Herts
No - it's contrary to EC Competition rules for one thing, look at the fuss kicked up about French subsidies to Airbus Industrie. Rover's a dead duck and it's time to let the market dictate its future. I feel very sorry for the workers - but the same thing has happened to thousands of other workers - look at the miners.
John, London UK
Yes - its the last British owned car producer.
Robert, Leeds
| It's very sad that the workers will lose their jobs, but these things happen |
No, the government should not intervene. If a business is not viable it will go bust. If they cannot compete with the opposition, they go under. Why should Rover get any special treatment? It's very sad that the workers will lose their jobs, but these things happen and the world doesn't end.
Jenny, Gloucester This company has, over the decades been nationalised, privatised, sold off, chopped up, came to the brink of closure. It's had millions or pounds worth of tax payers' money pumped in, was swamped with strikes and produced what? Some of the worst cars ever. I would say it's time to call it a day.
James, UK
Rover shouldn't be given any taxpayer's money or bailed out by the government. The only hope for them is to move all manufacturing overseas as it is too expensive to do it here.
James Snowsill, Woodford, UK
As someone who has recently left working in the industry, I do feel for those who have been betrayed. Having said that the answer should be no. Rover should be left to die; throwing good money after bad would just prolong the inevitable. Another once great British brand joins the graveyard, RIP Rover.
Chris Parker, Bucks
It is time the government stepped in and helped properly. Too many jobs are at risk. At this rate there will be no industry left in the UK. It is diabolical the way British jobs are being sent abroad so that companies can make even bigger profits for a few, at the expense of the many.
Jackie Rogers, Birmingham
It's not a hobby, it's a business. If it can't make money, then close it.
Anthony Hunt, Maidstone, England.
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