Green MEP, Molly Scott Cato, has warned 3,600 jobs are at risk at the Honda plant in Swindon, if a hard or no-deal Brexit go ahead.

The warning comes after the MEP visited Ghent, Europe's third largest port, to learn about the impacts that leaving the customs union would have on ‘just in time’ trade between the UK and EU. During her visit she met with a representative of Honda, the head of Belgian customs and port authorities.

Mrs Scott Cato said: “My visit to the port of Ghent has left me in no doubt that if the government drive us over a cliff, companies like Honda, one of the South West’s largest employers, may no longer be able to retain production in Swindon.

“If the UK falls back on WTO trade rules, the millions in extra costs in tariffs and customs checks could leave the Swindon plant uncompetitive compared to the company’s Turkish plant, which operates inside an EU customs union agreement.”

The MEP also learned that food exported from the port of Ghent ordered at 3pm one day is on British supermarket shelves by 5am the next morning.

Molly Scott Cato added: “The transport system that makes possible the ‘just-in-time’ arrangements, used by so many companies and sectors in our economy, will fall apart if we leave the customs union. This will threaten our food system, manufacturing industries and much more besides.”

Honda employs 3,500 people at its South Marston base.