Speaking out: Mary Barra says the events in Charlottesville, and its aftermath, “require that we come together as a country and reinforce values and ideals that unite us … and speak against those which divide us”.

GENERAL Motors chairman and CEO Mary Barra, who was the last remaining automotive industry executive advising US president Donald Trump on economic issues and employment growth, no longer has a role at the White House with the disbandment this week of key business advisory councils amid controversy surrounding the president’s reaction to racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The strategic and policy forum, on which Ms Barra was the lone car industry voice, and the manufacturing council – headed by Australian businessman, Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris, and previously including Ford’s Mark Fields, Tesla’s Elon Musk and Uber’s Travis Kalanick – were both disbanded after several members resigned as a protest over the president’s refusal to fully condemn white extremists and saying that anti-racism protesters were equally to blame.

Mr Musk had resigned from the manufacturing council in June over the president’s decision to withdraw the US from the Paris climate accord, Mr Kalanick left in February in response to the country’s immigration ban and Mr Fields left the council when in May when he stepped down from his post at Ford.

Seven other members left earlier this week in response to the latest controversy. President Trump reacted by tweeting that “for every CEO that drops out of the manufacturing council, I have many to take their place; grandstanders should not have gone on”.

However, he later moved to dissolve both advisory groups, tweeting: “Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the manufacturing council and strategy and policy forum, I am ending both. Thank you all!”

In a statement to employees after the forum was disbanded, Ms Barra said: “General Motors is about unity and inclusion and so am I.

“Recent events, particularly those in Charlottesville, Virginia, and its aftermath, require that we come together as a country and reinforce values and ideals that unite us – tolerance, inclusion and diversity – and speak against those which divide us – racism, bigotry and any politics based on ethnicity,” she said.

Ms Barra and other members of the strategic and policy forum met regularly with the president and were charged with providing “their individual views to the president – informed by their unique vantage points in the private sector – on how government policy impacts economic growth, job creation and productivity”.

The forum was also “designed to provide direct input to the president from many of the best and brightest in the business world in a frank, non-bureaucratic and non-partisan manner”.

According to Bloomberg, Ms Barra chose not to resign from the council as she wanted a voice in policy decisions, and that leaving the council would prevent any chance of working with the Trump-led White House in the future.

The Wall Street Journal reported that GM and other manufacturers had urged the Trump administration to ease the regulations put in place during Barack Obama’s tenure, which called upon car-makers to sell vehicles that average 40 miles per gallon (5.8 litres per 100km) by 2025.

Experts within the auto industry warned that enforcing the regulations would cost an estimated $US200 billion ($A252b) and would threaten local jobs.

As GoAuto has reported, Ms Barra copped criticism for not following Mr Musk’s lead in stepping down from her role as an adviser when the president withdrew from the Paris climate agreement.

However, the US auto giant argued that that the forum provided “a seat at an important table to contribute to a constructive dialogue about key policy issues”.

“GM will not waver from our commitment to the environment and our position on climate change has not changed. International agreements aside, we remain committed to creating a better environment,” the company said.

By Terry Martin and Robbie Wallis