Pursuits

Britain’s Motown Bites the EU Hand That Helped It Prosper

  • Vote to leave EU could hurt Nissan plant boosted by exports
  • Fears over U.K.’s auto industry renaissance after Brexit vote
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Christopher Shepherd helped build a Nissan Motor Co. factory in Sunderland, England, that thrives on the U.K.’s membership in the European Union. Last week, in the EU referendum, he cast a ballot to quit.

Shepherd, a 73-year-old retired construction worker, was joined by 61 percent of the electorate in Sunderland, making the gritty city in England’s Northeast a leader of the vote to leave. Sipping a beer in a local pub, Shepherd said he had no regrets.