FWIW Toyota,Honda,Kia & Hyundai and maybe other non french car manufacturers all have factories in France

Nissan opted for a factory in Portugal rather than France which was a major shock to the french government at the time

Im fairly sure what is spend on R&D is counted as a cost, and as such it itself reduces profits.

R&D doesn't come out of profits. It's a cost just like any other cost and is accounted for before profits are calculated.

Don't talk soft, anyone knows that in the real world what happens is, they look in the petty cash tin and if there's anything left after the tea & biscuits have been bought, they spend that on R&D

Print Union. Blimey. I didn't realise they were still around. I used to be in the NGA many years ago, mostly because as there were so many "closed shops" you had to be in it just to get a job. Thinking back, that sounds rather "selective" and "elitist" doesn't it.

Imagine these days being told you wouldn't even be considered for a job as you didn't have the right papers. "sorry mate, you'd be perfect, but I can't even talk to you because you haven't paid someone the subs"

... or hadn't been to the 'right school' etc ...

Like say, a doctor?

'Jobs for the boys' is nothing new, and happens at all levels of society. Someone gets a job because they happen to have 'connections'.

It is just that, when the benefactor happens to be the offspring of someone who has a few £££, the rest of us find it so much more unpaletable.

So a closed shop is OK if you have money and connections but not if you're working class?

Another one who cannot read - Where did I say R&D comes out of profits? infact depending on the type of R&D some of it can hit the income statement.

Companies need profits to fund R&D and you can be sure as soon as profits drop off two things happen - capital spend will be curtailed - which if you believe Maynard Keynes is required to start the upward cycle and is a good indicator of the start of the downward cycle - and R&D spend will be reduced.