LONDON, England (CNN) -- The historic days when Britain was frequently troubled by marauding, ransom-seeking Scandinavian invaders resulted in a rueful proverb "Once you have paid the Dane-geld you'll never get rid of the Dane." It is a proverb which should be noted by governments thinking of bailing out troubled automobile companies. Despite a vociferous campaign by workers MG Rover failed to survive. As the U.S. authorities contemplate how to respond to pleas for help from the "Big Three" -- GM, Ford and Chrysler-- they might pause to reflect on the experiences of past British governments when they tried to help the troubled British Leyland group in its various historical forms.
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UK governments spent billions trying to help troubled British Leyland group
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BLMC formed in 1968 but Margaret Thatcher privatized it
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However MG Rover went bust in 2005, later sold to a Chinese company
Amid a worldwide recession there were more wage claims, more strikes and @placeholder lectured the company and the industry on its poor productivity and over-readiness to strike.