Gordon Brown and John Hutton have welcomed the announcement of a new Nissan car designed by British engineers and set for production in Sunderland.

The Prime Minister said that the announcement of the venture "guarantees jobs for the long-distant future" and will see Britain "leading on an export model that will sell right round the world."

Mr Brown added that Nissan is producing more cars than ever before at its Sunderland plant "a sign of the health of modern manufacturing in Britain."

Nissan’s multi-million pound investment at its Sunderland factory is expected to safeguard hundreds of jobs and is supported with a £6.2 million investment by the Labour Government.

John Hutton, Labour’s Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform said -

"Nissan's investment is great news for Sunderland, for jobs in the area and for the regional economy. It shows Britain is a competitive place for the automotive industry to invest and to do business.

"The ingredients for Nissan's success story - innovation, creativity and a highly committed and skilled workforce - will be key if Britain's manufacturing is to thrive in an increasingly competitive global economy."