An MG Rover worker arrives at the Longbridge plant on the morning after Britain's last big car manufacturer called in the receivers. Photograph: David Jones/PA
As MG Rover calls in the receivers, putting at risk the livelihood of more than 6,000 workers at its Longbridge plant, most commentators believe the government was right to let the company go the wall.
Blogger Mark spreads the blame, attributing the demise of Britain's last big car maker to "a toxic mixture of under-investment, under-capitalisation, timid management, meddling politicians and stroppy unions."
The Scotsman, among others, thinks the loss of MG Rover will be a blow - but not one of titanic proportions, because most of MG Rover's suppliers have diversified into other markets.
As Rover begins its painful wind-down, some workers must be wondering whether they would have been better off had it been sold to Alchemy, the group led by Jon Moulton, instead of Phoenix Venture Holdings.
Alchemy planned to concentrate on the successful MG sports cars, but the scale of the job losses envisaged by Mr Moulton was deemed unacceptable, with Alchemy vilified as asset strippers. But this will probably will be the outcome once the smoke clears: someone will pick up MG and make it a going concern, while Rover will cease to exist.
Meanwhile, Phoenix - once considered Rover's saviour, is having to shoulder the blame for its chaotic demise. The Financial Times carries a damning quote from an MG Rover supplier, who said the management outraged the locals, workers and suppliers when they gave themselves a £16.5m pension fund and a £10m payment through a loan note.
"John Towers [the chairman of Phoenix] personally vapourised the goodwill," the supplier told the FT. "Since then, no-one has wanted to help them. It has all been strictly commercial."
