US President Barack Obama played the ’working families’ card as he turned to blue-collar crowds to help rally support for his controversial health care overhaul.

US car workers vented their fury today over Barack Obama’s tough tactics, inflaming long-simmering feelings that the people who put America on wheels are treated differently to the wizards of Wall Street.

Advocates for US car makers are warning that the collapse of the Big Three manufacturers – or even just General Motors – could set off a catastrophic chain reaction in the economy, eliminating up to three million jobs and depriving governments of more than €113bn in tax revenue.