FORMER diplomat Sir Christopher Meyer highlighted his admiration for the Nissan success story at a speech in Durham.
The former British Ambassador to the US expressed his admiration for the manner in which the Japanese car maker placed its faith in the Sunderland area as the hub of its UK manufacturing plant.
Speaking at the British American Chambers of Commerce Thanksgiving Dinner at Lumley Castle, Sir Christopher admitted he had re-told the inward investment story again and again at glitzy Washington DC dinners when extolling the attraction of doing business with the UK.
But he steered clear of many of the topics raised in his recently-published memoirs - in which he criticised Prime Minister Tony Blair over his handling of the Iraq conflict, as well as making derogatory remarks about certain ministers.
The former ambassador was sceptical about the Special Relationship between Britain and the US, stating that while many Presidents and Prime Ministers had worked closely on foreign policy it did not give British firms any competitive advantage.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article