Is Mr Collard aware of the fact that many in government and the automotive industry are worried that it won't deliver what the UK industry needs without involvement from major manufacturers like Ford, GM, JLR and BMW?
They started somewhere before they became big. He said that we've got accelerated growth and have been successful all along the way.
I'm not saying I'm the best person in the world to run this project, but I do think that the administrators have a legal obligation to get the best return for their money, as individuals, what the future holds. The government is prepared to stand behind the right company with the right investment because we believe that a gigafactory here in Blyth would be an appropriate way of building on the skills that local people have, and the edge that this city has already shown when it comes to renewables and the future of energy, Mr Collard said.
Collard said he would happily accept government funding but he wanted broad political support. Anyone will take free money, but at the end of the day we want bi-partisan support, and that is what we have in Australia and the US. He said the site would be shovel ready but he said it would be six to 12 months before the first shovel would be used on site.