Commenting on the collapse of the deal between Rover and the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, Liberal Democrat Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary, Malcolm Bruce said:

“This is a sad day for Rover and will cause distress to its workers. We hope that a solution can be found that minimises the effect on Rover workers and their families. It is also a blow to the local economy although the situation has been foreseen for some time.

“The administrators will have to proceed now and there will inevitably be redundancies. We hope that they might be able to secure something from the remainder of the company.

“The priority must be securing a long-term future for this highly skilled workforce and economic regeneration of this area.”