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Welcome to The Insider. If this weekly blog sounds like a 1970s cop show, then be warned.
Expect something closer to the Sweeney than the Professionals.
Like Regan on a hangover, expect hard hitting views on the motor industry, top entertainment and – occasionally -behaviour that borders on the unacceptable. So put your knickers on, shut it and stop surfing the web; we won’t be doing Kevin Keegan hair-dos here.
Why the name? Well, that’s simple; The Insider is written by a girl (or maybe a bloke) who sits at the heart of the industry. If there’s something that needs to be said, we’ll be saying it with the authority a premier league whistle blower.
Enough of the intro; time to hit the ground running. Let’s start with something from Ford.
Last week the blue oval released an upbeat statement “confirming its commitment to its UK communities”.
Around 200 charities a year in the UK benefit from £200,000, affirmed the Ford Britain Trust. Good for them.
One of the beneficiaries is The Roberts Centre in Hampshire, not far from Ford’s Southampton Transit plant.
It supports families facing homelessness or dealing with relationship breakdowns.
Centre manager Carole Damper sang Ford’s praises: “The trust’s support over the years has been great. It was good to meet staff from the Ford Southampton plant.”
Well, there’s more good news for Carole. She might be meeting a few more staff from the Transit production lines in the next few months.
That’s because around 120 are about to be laid off. Seems, Ford weren’t so keen to shout about that story.
In fact, the workers weren’t told about it directly by management. They found out from the unions.
Still, they were only staff on temporary contracts so that’s all right.
Commitment to the community in action.