What will the future UK Economy look like

sjr4x4 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-07-10, 02:53 PM

Sombering article on the Beeb.

"Rebalancing the economy - it has become a mantra in Whitehall, the Bank of England and the world of economic think tanks.

In essence, what it seems to mean is making more things and exporting them, and relying less on services.

To put it another way, manufacturing good - financial services bad."

...People often hark back to a golden age when the UK was the "workshop of the world" rather than a "nation of shopkeepers".

BBC News - What might the UK economy be like in future?

Hmm, can we really compete with the emerging economies, or are we destined to be a floating call centre

Mark Pitts · #2 (**permalink**) 12-07-10, 04:16 PM

We get 2-3 emails a week from manufacturers based in China trying to sell their products. One of the biggest pool manufacturers is based in Spain, lots of good weather, so they have a large market to supply too.

What can we manufacturer as we no longer have the materials and skills to manufacture any products that people want? Maybe we need to design products and let other people manufacture them.

As a parting comment, all the pool filters in the world work on a guage of sand that's only found in Leighton Buzzard!

mrb · #3 (**permalink**) 12-07-10, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Pitts

As a parting comment, all the pool filters in the world work on a guage of sand that's only found in Leighton Buzzard!

They've not looked at all the sand in the world.. ..surely!

As for the future, who knows. Though perhaps that's why you often here that the government wants to encourage Research & Development (& offers tax advantages) because they know we don't manufacture anything much these days!

Scootek · #4 (**permalink**) 12-07-10, 09:59 PM

I think we have the creative and business talent. Let's use that to our advantage and get other people to do the manufacturing. Apple is a great example...design it in the US...made in china.

Mark Pitts · #5 (**permalink**) 13-07-10, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrb

They've not looked at all the sand in the world.. ..surely!

As for the future, who knows. Though perhaps that's why you often here that the government wants to encourage Research & Development (& offers tax advantages) because they know we don't manufacture anything much these days!

I think its the volume of sand found in tthe Uk?

Lets not knock it.

sjr4x4 · #6 (**permalink**) 13-07-10, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scootek

I think we have the creative and business talent. Let's use that to our advantage and get other people to do the manufacturing. Apple is a great example...design it in the US...made in china.

Good point, isn't their top designer a brit?

Goeconow · #7 (**permalink**) 15-07-10, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scootek

I think we have the creative and business talent. Let's use that to our advantage and get other people to do the manufacturing. Apple is a great example...design it in the US...made in china.

Wouldn't it be perfect if we could say designed and built in the UK. Another pipedream I guess

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Asia's largest economy, Japan to be superceded by China!	sjr4x4	General Business News, Help and Discussion	3	03-02-10 11:41 AM
Economy in U.S. Shrank 0.7%, Less Than Anticipated	sjr4x4	General Business News, Help and Discussion	0	30-09-09 02:53 PM

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)