Did Scotland lose when Nissan went to England?

The recent decision by the Japanese company Nissan to open a car plant at
Washington, near Sunderland airport, was welcomed by local lobbies and the media as a major boost for industry and employment. South Wales and Humberside, the other regions vying to attract this seemingly glittering industrial prize, were very disappointed. Although Scotland was not in contention for the project, rumours circulated in 1981 that Nissan had been approached about locating its proposed British operation at the vacant Linwood site.

Before deciding whether Scotland has missed a bounty of industrial growth, there are several searching questions to be answered. Our research on Linwood alerted us to the necessisty of examining the long-term impact of prestige projects on existing industrial sectors and structures. After outlining the Nissan deal, we discuss some of its possible effects.