Theresa May’s plan to meet car industry executives at a summit in Birmingham, amid growing concern in the industry about the pace of the Brexit negotiations, could not have come any sooner.

Given the very real possibility of a no-deal scenario, despite EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier saying a Brexit deal could be done by November, makes this a pressing priority.

Aston Martin is set for a £5bn listing shortly, but with big Brexit issues unresolved, will this process go smoothly? McLaren Automotive’s CFO Paul Buddin spelled out the challenge of Brexit in Financial Director last month.

Tha car-making industry, like many others, needs answers- especially as Nissan was thought to have struck a ‘sweetheart deal’ with the government in 2016 to maintain its presence in the UK.