Business minister Jonathan Reynolds has said that he did “everything possible” to prevent the planned closure of Vauxhall’s Luton van-producing plant, where 1,100 jobs are at risk.The closure was blamed on the government’s plan to force carmakers to build more electric vehicles,

Motor giant Stellantis says it is closing the van making plant in the context of the UK's rules on electric vehicle sales.

Vauxhall started making cars in 1903 in South London but moved to a new factory in Kimpton Road Luton in 1905. Car manufacturing in at the Bedfordshire plant ended in 2002 - the last car to roll of the production line was a Vectra - after nearly 100 years, leading to 1,900 job losses.