Business this week

It is shaping up to be a bad year for Britain’s car industry. In the latest blow, Honda decided to close its plant in Swindon in 2021, putting 3,500 jobs at risk. It is the first time the Japanese carmaker has closed one of its factories (it is also stopping production of one of its models at a facility in Turkey). Honda said it was accelerating its commitment to electric cars, and stressed that Brexit was not a factor in its calculation to shut up shop. Many observers think otherwise. See article.