Re: British business uncompetitive?

We are reaping the benefits? of what was sown 30+ years ago, Brexit and such are just an aside.

Re: British business uncompetitive?

Correct. This country began to go downhill in the '70s because of trade unions becoming too dictatorial and greedy.

It gained them nothing.

Again, I'll state that this country fails to progress to its full ability because we are always opposites who just cannot agree to work together.

Re: British business uncompetitive?

On the contrary, I sat in meetings where ordinary folks, decided just how many processes and sub assembly jobs were sent to China, this could not have been unique to that company.

Re: British business uncompetitive?

I am not sure that this is true, I worked it out once that those millions of tonnes of accessible coal in the UK are actually about the same amount as Queensland alone exports in a week (something like that).

During the Heath government 3 day week Australia offered to land steaming coal in Britain at less than half the cost of the coal from British mines.

It is probably best left in the ground then it will still be there in hundreds of years time when/if we are really short of energy.

As for manufacturing no western country can compete against China and India except with niche and specialist high tech products old industries like steel and coal just ain't going to cut it (unless your country is made of iron ore and coal).

Re: British business uncompetitive?

The article is nowt to do with what happened 30 years ago. The ONS report is about British productivity being strong up to 2007 and weakened since the crash. Between 97 and 2007 the UK growth was stronger than the other G7 countries.

I'd say it's pretty clear that this has something to do with Tory policies vs New Labour policies. Had the crash not happened I reckon we'd still be the strongest growing economy among the G7. Tory policies have sent us back to the dark ages.

Re: British business uncompetitive?

Britain became rich on the back of slavery; coal and iron - it has none of these now - it's a small country that should be a small niche country - it is very good at banking and is attracting lots of russian and ME monies - that's good BUT if the general populace don't benefit only the fat tories then that is not good.

the unions have every right to fight for their members [and incidentally non-members by default] - the rich have never been prepared to share their riches enough

Re: British business uncompetitive?

Hi

You are confusing growth with productivity, the two are entirely different things.

Growth is making more things, productivity is the cost of making them.

An Englishman makes 10 cars a day, a German 13, same car same factory as an example.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the Financial Crash.

Re: British business uncompetitive?

Hi

I agree with most of what you say.

It is not about the size of the economy, it is about the quality of life.

We had the opportunity, on Brexit, to adopt the Swiss model of doing things.

A small country, no natural resources, but with a much better standard of living than the UK, even the trains run on time.

Our ruling elite flatly turned it down.

The Swiss are a canny lot, they keep their Politicians under control by having referendums all the time.

In 2016 they had 13 referendums, your vote is meaningful there.

Here, over 17 million voted to leave the EU, yet our fate is in the hands of a group of 30 Tory MPs and 10 DUP dinosaurs who are anti abortion and same sex marriage.

It is a shambles.

Re: British business uncompetitive?

I'm quoting the ONS data which compares productivity and output in G7 nations. The productivity and output of the UK was stronger than the other G7 nations between 1997 and 2007 and has been weaker ever since. The change from strong to weak is considered puzzling.

Re: British business uncompetitive?

Other countries in the G7 group also became rich through empire, slavery, mining etc. So the stats compare a rich elite group with each other. We were doing better between 1997 and 2007 but since the crash we have not recovered our productivity and output performance. We are doing better than Japan and Canada.

It's good to have unions but when they paralyse the economy then nobody benefits. Seems to only work well in France where they love the drama.