How Twitter reacted to Lord Sugar predicting 'mass unemployment' for Sunderland

The Nissan plant in Sunderland, which employs around 6,000 people, plus thousands more in the supply chain.

The Labour peer published the Tweet yesterday after it emerged that Honda is to close its factory in Swindon, with the loss of 3,500 jobs.

Lord Sugar, who is enterprise champion to the Business Secretary, said Sunderland voting to Leave "tipped the scales", and predicted it won't be long before Nissan makes the same decision, leaving the city to "pay with mass unemployment".

But he faced an immediate storm on the social media platform, with most people saying he was talking rubbish. Here's a selection of Tweets:

Mark Stenton‏ (@mgs0970): "Sadly, the people of Sunderland know an awful lot about mass unemployment thanks to Thatcherism, without a multi-millionaire making cheap comments. Brexit vote was wrong, but the blind arrogance of those who won’t consider why it happened is equally dangerous."

Topcat404‏ (@Stefano_Uvavu): "How the hell did we tip the scales man? The national vote 'tipped the scales'. You add all the votes together and the winner is one who has most votes. I don't agree with leaving EU, but stop taking cheap shots that suit a national media bias against the city."

????? ????‏ (@stevehuntphoto): "Well done there, sweeping generalisation of the whole of Sunderland. I'm sure the other 17 odd million might have had a part to play as well."

Shaun Leigh (@shaunleigh_39): "How embarrassing someone with your influence and following and apparent intelligence makes such a statement....flaming the Brexit fire with assumptions is a terrible thing to do."

Karl G‏ (@KarlosSAFC1982): "Give owa Alan. Cannot put the blame on the people of Sunderland for Brexit. Wasn't like we voted 1st & it was like sheep around the country copying us. Everyone voted at the same time. If the politicians you fund actually did their jobs we wouldn't be in this mess!!!"

Chris Parker‏ (@ChrissyP1983):"Sunderland was not the 'tipping point'. More conservative voting regions voted for Brexit than Labour. More people in the south voted for it than the north. That said, the outcome had nothing to do with Parliamentary constituencies/regions. You know this, right?"

Lord Sugar, left, says Nissan, above, will also close after Japanese carmaker Honda decided to shut its Swindon plant, with the loss of 3,500 jobs.

Paul‏ (@paulinhexham): "I feel for the employees of Honda and worry for Nissan, but have you ever thought why people in these areas voted to leave in the first place!? A lot of them have nothing and don't have much to lose and feel abandoned. It's called desperation!"

Joe Bellerby‏ (@sniff91): "Oh aye, because we declared our result first it's our fault. Sound logic there Alan."

Brian Roffe‏ (@brir56): "We are not leaving the EU because Sunderland voted out and 'tipped the scales' as you put it. Really need to stop pedalling this falsehood about Sunderland. Another 17 million or so from around the country were also responsible."

Only a few people agreed with what the star of the BBC TV show The Apprentice had to say.

One was Pewsham Red‏ (@smitherman69), who Tweeted: "Completely agree. Both Swindon and Sunderland were heavily pro-leave and this news makes that decision so tragic, if self inflicted."