LONDON -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday called on Ford Motor Co to give a commitment on the future of its United Kingdom operations after job cuts at the auto giant's Jaguar luxury car unit in central England.
Blair told parliament he had told Ford and unions that Jaguar's proposed cuts should be subject to proper scrutiny.
"I believe that that is shortly going to take place from conversations I had the other day," Blair said.
"I also hope that they will be able to give commitments about the long-term future of Jaguar and indeed Ford in the country."
Blair met union members last month over Ford's plans to cut 1,150 jobs at its main Jaguar plant in Coventry.
The division, known for its leaping big cat mascot, said in September that it would drastically scale back the Browns Lane plant in central England and shift production to another factory in nearby Birmingham.
