Too little, too late. The damning Tory verdict on the £2.5bn car industry bail-out was matched by union attacks and heavily qualified support from business, as the government package unveiled on Tuesday got a distinctly lukewarm reception.

Peter Mandelson will hope to secure a more enthusiastic response when he meets the motor industry on Wednesday. The business secretary can argue that he has fought the sector’s corner, persuading the Treasury to agree the UK’s first support package for a non-financial sector in this recession.