http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0125v5h/Made_in_Britain_Episode_1/ Just watched this TV program, the first one in the series. It explains economics concepts really well for the average person, and shows how Britain, far from being in perpetual decline, is doing pretty well in manufacturing. I definitely recommend watching this program. And yes, that is the Top Gear test track you see there!
Will check it out more later, looks a good program. Yep, whilst the argument from some quarters is that the big bad evil Thatcher came along and ruined the economy and destroyed manufacturing, the truth is that manufacturing has been doing fairly well (despite our country's trade deficit) and growing - despite some 'bumps along the way' - for decades. Source
I had a chat with my one of my old teachers a while back, he basically explained that the manufacturing industry could be a lot better if they didn't have a lot of silly procedures in case because people could take their companies to court for any injury and any silly. E.g. In my old school now they need to have a risk assessments for metal files...all this costs money so people prefer to manufacture stuff abroad :/ I guess stuff like government incentives is helping the industry a lot.
Here's an oddity for you; The current gov love to talk about how our manufacturing industry is doing pretty damn well under them - yet it only contributes around 8% of our economy. Yet they have completely destroyed the third-sector which contributes around 12%. Oh dear. Could it be that the government simply don't understand that the majority of the third sector creates both financial and social return on investment...could it be that they hold the common misconception that the majority charities run on handouts...when in-fact they are generally self-suffcient businesses like any other except with the aditional benefit of total re-investment... It really is increasingly like be back in the 80's
Watched that program, it is very good and I highly recommend it. One thing he didn't mentioned was high end audio manufactures e.g. Meridian, B&W, Wharfedale and Mordaunt Short.
Your old teacher is miss-informed or an idiot. What your describing has nothing to do with health and safety legislation and is a reaction to the fear of being sued. A risk assessment at your school for using a file is something your local authority has stipulated out of fear of being sued and uses the blanket term "health and safety" to justify it. BTW the health and safety at work act does not even apply to you as your not employed at school. Companies manufacture abroad because the labour costs are cheaper not because we have legislation that protects our work force from unnecessary risk. Evan Davis makes a very good point in the programme. The better your manufacturing industry the less people it employs as it becomes more and more efficient. Our manufacturing industries are high value producing a lot of money but they employ a lot fewer people than they used too.
Dissing the country, the economy, sporting figures on the world stage and everything else is a national pasttime. Business news on bbc.com loves to tell us how buggered the uk is. Something sensible like the Economist magazine says something otherwise.
