The sacking of Britain’s manufacturing base continues

What do you expect? If the British consumer is not prepared to pay higher prices for domestically produced goods, then what chance is there? Or are you advocating bringing in tariffs and barriers to protect UK manufacturing jobs?

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PS - and what exactly did the Tories do to start the demise of the manufacturing base? if a company was not able to preform without state backing, shouldn't it be let go? Blaming Thatcher is such a tedious thing and so passé. For God's sake she left power 18 years ago. A week might be a long time in politics but seemingly 18 years isn't.

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Originally Posted by angelman:
What do you expect? If the British consumer is not prepared to pay higher prices for domestically produced goods, then what chance is there? Or are you advocating bringing in tariffs and barriers to protect UK manufacturing jobs?

The alternative will to leave us a Third World state and allow the domination of the nations of the East to begin.

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Originally Posted by British-Conservatism:
The alternative will to leave us a Third World state and allow the domination of the nations of the East to begin.

yes but without taking protectionist measures, how do you think British industry can compete? And as we are so law abiding in this country we wouldn't dare introduce a Lettuce Tariff like the Japanese do (I think that;s the one I am thinking of).

I will always and try and buy British when I can, but there are few like me. I am fortunate to be able to affotd it, but I realise a lot of people are driven by price, and I am as well to a certain extent. I try not to buy Chinese products, one of the reasons being that they often break down as soon as you think of taking the packaging off.

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Originally Posted by angelman:
yes but without taking protectionist measures, how do you think British industry can compete? And as we are so law abiding in this country we wouldn't dare introduce a Lettuce Tariff like the Japanese do (I think that;s the one I am thinking of).

I will always and try and buy British when I can, but there are few like me. I am fortunate to be able to affotd it, but I realise a lot of people are driven by price, and I am as well to a certain extent. I try not to buy Chinese products, one of the reasons being that they often break down as soon as you think of taking the packaging off.

We cant just use protection of course in many areas we have nothing left to protect.
A Nationalist government first will have to step in and reform specific sectors of the economy. (Steel Making, Shipbuilding, Motor Industry etc).
Korea, Japan and China have been showing the way forward here.
Liberal Economics have been a total failure.

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BC, did you know that in 2007, UK was 12th biggest car producing country in the world.

Anyway, it ultimately comes down to cost. Is there any other way, short of subsidies, whether they be tax breaks or any other incentive, that UK will be able to compete with Eastern countries? Certainly not on labour rates. Raw materials are the same, save for difference in shipping distances.

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Originally Posted by angelman:
BC, did you know that in 2007, UK was 12th biggest car producing country in the world.

Anyway, it ultimately comes down to cost. Is there any other way, short of subsidies, whether they be tax breaks or any other incentive, that UK will be able to compete with Eastern countries? Certainly not on labour rates. Raw materials are the same, save for difference in shipping distances.

We bribe foreign car manufactures to locate here.
Our Corporate Welfare bill is now said to be £79 billion.
When we cant afford to pay them anymore they will all leave.
This is the road to ruin.

The answer is for the British government to take a large scale share in the economy and begin investment.
Protectionism can be used where needed.

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It's really quite simple:

"If you don't make it here, you don't sell it here".

With exceptions for geographically-dependant items (we expect Portuguese marble to come from Portugal, we expect Ferraris to be built by chimpanzees in Italy, we expect Harley Davidsons to be built in The Land Of The Free™).

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