'It's unpatriotic and a bad look': PM to ditch British cars for German-made Audis
1 September 2022, 09:22
The prime minister will no longer be driven around in a British car after the Metropolitan Police ordered a fleet of German-made Audis.
It is the first time the British leader will not be driven around in a home-made vehicle after a suitable vehicle could not be found in the Jaguar range.
Instead the Met have reportedly ordered a fleet of bullet-proof Audi A8s.
The prime minister is currently driven in a batch of Jaguar XJs, known as the Sentinel, but the Met were forced to find an alternative after Jaguar paused production after a fall in demand during the pandemic.
The prime minister has been transported in a series of Jaguars, or Daimler-badged alternatives, since the 1980s. Land Rovers and Humbers have also served British leaders.
It was hoped a batch of electric vehicles would replace the Jaguars, which were ordered by David Cameron in 2010.
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Liz Truss, speaking at Tory leadership hustings hosted by LBC last night, said she would "look into this issue in more detail".
"In my current role as Foreign Secretary, I have police protection, and ultimately it is a decision for the police about the best car to use," Truss said, adding that she would prefer to examine issues of "energy prices and the British economy."
The decision has outraged MPs who have branded the decision is unpatriotic and said prime minister's vehicle should champion British models rather than turn to foreign-made alternatives.
Labour MP John Spellar, speaking to the Sun, said the decision risked British jobs and accused "pen pushers" of "not caring about the car workers in the West Midlands and Merseyside and their supply chain round the country."
Meanwhile a source close to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the Telegraph: "We have our own home-based manufacturer in Jaguar, and Grant believes we should champion them.
"It’s not something he would ever approve [using a non-British manufacturer] – this is a bad look."
Former Education Secretary Sir Gavin Williamson said: "We have one of the proudest and longest traditions of producing some of the world’s best cars that are desired and appreciated around the world.
"And the idea that we’d be in a situation of not having cars manufactured here in the UK being used for ministers is absurd, and certainly not something that would ever happen.
"At no stage would you ever expect to see a German minister arriving in a Jaguar or a British manufactured car.
"I think hopefully people are able to reflect on this and realise it’s really important to be supporting British business and British jobs in terms of how government money is spent."
Downing Street has refused to wade into the row, saying in a statement that "the PM will always promote British companies, but on that, it is a matter for the Met."
The Met refused to comment on the reports.
