When Ralf Speth, the CEO of JaguarLandRover, Britain’s biggest car manufacturer, talks about the possible disaster if an agreement with Brussels cannot be reached, the world should be listening.

His remarks that the company’s factories face grinding to a halt and “tens of thousands” of jobs in the sector could be lost in such a situation, must be taken seriously.

After all JLR is one of the great stories of the UK economy that has seen it power to become the fifth biggest in recent years.

In the week of the 10th anniversary of the collapes of Lehman Brothers we are reminded just how fragile even a seemingly robust economy can be, once a process of negative cause and effect begins to gain momentum.

In this respect we hope that our politicians see sense and support the national interest rather than pursue reckless personal agendas.

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