Over the last say 15 years we in Britain have not supported British Business. In my opinion it all started with the lack of long term vision and the short term investment banking attitude. The banking and city investors in general always want quick returns on investments. Another key issue is that governments appear to only want to look to the next general election and not at long term projects.
If you think about it, we have sold off so many of our Great British Companies to foreign company's over last 15 years. For example Rolls Royce and Bentley were sold to BMW and VW for £430m At the time of the sale we in the UK wasted millions on the someones ego called the Millennium Dome The Rolls Royce brand was a major advert to promote Great Britian.
An example in the lack of support was the sale of Land Rover and Jaguar by Ford to Tata of India. The management team wanted to buy it but Tata won. What I find wrong was the fact that within a short space of time Tata asked the government for a loan ,why did they not give a loan to the management in time to keep the company British! Think how many companies have gone, ie British Steel, Tetley Tea, Cadburys etc.
When we sold off so many crown jewels utilities we should have only sold off 49% of all the gas, water and electricty companies as we now have no control over pricing or service.
What I find so sad is the amount of land where manufacturing was that has been redeveloped into retail parks or apartments. Liz and I with the children went in Birmingham for a weekend, we went on a canal trip, it was so sad to see all the land where demolished factory's once stood just as waste land waiting to be developed.
The country has not invested and supported manufacturing for so long that we now have major up hill battle.
We need to look at getting the education system right so that we have the right motivated and trained engineers etc.
One way would be is to develop more sponsorship placements in SME's and PLC's for students.The students sign for example a 4 year contract but in return the company sponsor the student, some of the costs for the business is offset by reduced company tax. This would be a win win situation ie students coming out of university with less debt and the students getting real work experience, and the business wins by having a student who is motivated and can bring new ideas etc to the business.
So what we all need to do is to support British business and products. Great Britain needs to think more of what's in it for us and learn from the French who if they do not agree with EU law then they don't bother with it!.
We all need to start to focus on Britain so that we can be proud of British business and products.
The other day on Twitter I tried a #hash tags of #backbritishproducts #backbritishbusiness and the amount of interest was great, so with a new financial year starting in April, why don't we have a national campaign promoted by the government and business to showcase our great skills, products and businesses.
The only way we can get the country out of the current state is for us all to work together to trade the country out of the mess.
great thoughts Mike. the last government reneged on so many of their promises to keep manufacturing in the UK. we will never regain the knowledge & skills we've lost. Look at the US where products are branded as "proudly made in the USA". we need to see something similar here.
ReplyDeleteThis is good idea back Britain.A government and business promotion.
ReplyDeleteWell done Mike - superb and I agree whole heartedly with everything you have said!
ReplyDeleteI'm a freelance Animator and Illustrator and I'm having a tough time because other countries can produce animation a lot cheaper than myself, infact the entire British Animation industry is going down the drain, I think it's rather upsetting to see British cartoons disappear from our screens.
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