British PM May wants Brexit deal that allow automakers to flourish

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May has been clear that her government wants to secure a Brexit deal with the European Union that will allow Nissan and other automakers to flourish in Britain, her spokesman said on Tuesday.

Earlier, Colin Lawther, Nissan's senior vice president in Europe, told lawmakers the company wanted the government to help it source more in Britain to ensure it complies with "rules of origin" if the country leaves the EU's customs union. [nL5N1GD4CQ]

"We have been pretty clear all along that what we want is to secure a deal that allows there to be an environment for Nissan and other companies in the automotive sector to flourish," he told reporters.

"As we prepare to go in to these negotiations we do that in a spirit of optimism that we will get the right deal that allows us to secure the environment that Nissan wants ... We are ambitious about the nature of the free trade agreement that we can agree with the European Union."

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, Writing by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Kate Holton)