Len McCluskey: The future of our great car industry must not be thrown into doubt because of UKIP and hard-right Tories

This is the full statement published by Unite general secretary Len McCluskey after figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed overseas demand help drive British car production to a 17-year high of 1.7 million in 2016.

This is further confirmation that the automotive sector is a cornerstone of our manufacturing industry.  It brings wealth to this country, and good skilled jobs to working class communities.

That is why the prime minister must think again on her threat to turn her back on the single market which supports the UK car industry.  Like it or not, Europe is a major market but also our biggest support because car manufacturing in this country relies on a supply chain stretching across the EU.

Worryingly, investment is drying up, a sure sign that the industry is bracing itself for the threatened hard Brexit.

Unite will fight for access to the single market all the way.  To do anything less is to turn our backs on hundreds of thousands of UK workers, which is unthinkable.

Our members have worked tirelessly to turn this industry around, to make it a badge of pride for this country.  I will not accept that their futures and the future of this great industry will be thrown into doubt because the hard right of the Tory party and UKIP are ideologically opposed to the single market.