to think we should try to buy british?

[hawaiiWave]

I've just heard yet another friend is being made redundant as her company can't afford to compete with overseas competition and so is closing down. Not sure if this sadness is clouding my thinking, but surely if we all tried to buy British where possible then it would help companies survive and people keep their jobs. I'm not talking where there's no option buy British or where the British option is much more expensive, but for example (in mum mode) to choose to buy a British pram or British fruit and veg at the supermarket? Or better still from a local farmer or market trader.

Aibu?

British manufacturer here. Would be a bigger help if the banks stopped sticking us one.

Sorry bad mood. If you can afford it, than yes try to buy local and support you community.

Yes I do. Here in Australia they bang in about buying Australian all the time. There are posters in furniture shop windows and ice cream shops. Stickers on food, clothes etc.

In theory yes but if I'm honest I will buy the best quality item within my budget regardless of where it is made. If I had the luxury of money not being sn issue I would prefer to buy British but I don't.

I see no reason to buy British - why is it better to subsidise a job here in a rich country than other jobs with people in real poverty?

Fred - it's not necessarily rich vs poor. You could buy some jam made in Britain or made in Spain for example, similar price, one helps UK economy and jobs and one doesn't.

I live in Canada so don't buy British a lot . I think buying small and local is better than buying specifically from your country. Local shops not chains, local farmers from farm shops and so on. I would see no reason to buy, for example, Duchy stuff rather than something from France.

i have got no time to read every label to see what is british or the money.

HawaiiWave But why is the UK economy and UK jobs more deserving than Spanish ones? Indeed with over 25% unemployment mighten it be nicer to help the Spaniards?

As MrsTerryChocolateOrange says - there's perhaps more reason to buy very local - as that has local enviromental and similar benefits, but just British, can't see it.

Of course it's also pretty debateable with a relatively strong economy and relatively low unemployment that subsidising jobs which can be more efficiently done elsewhere in the world is a good idea. Let those jobs die - they're going to eventually anyway. And then the workers, capital and everything can be redeployed to a more appropriate local job.

FredFredGeorge What about whether the job is fairly paid with good working conditions or involves slave labour/child exploitation?

FredFredGeorge why Spain? I can't remember the last time I saw a Made in Spain item - it's usually Made in China.

I do both, local and British. Not religiously, but it does influence me. Surely a higher proportion of the money spent on UK goods will remain in our economy to the benefit of us all eventually.

if you can afford it and the quality is good, then yes.

They go on about that here in the US too. Wherever we live we try to buy local and support the local economy, and support the country you are living in. I pick veg grown in the US and not in South American countries now that they have to label where everything is grown.
I still buy British even here, I go to World Market and buy McVities and Bisto and HP sauce

What EnglishGirlApproximately said.

Plus I don't get that British always = brilliant. Some things are shoddier than those from overseas despite being a higher cost.

I do where it's available & it's what I want.

But really, we live in a global economy now, we can't escape from that.

& we (Britain) no longer have a manufacturing economy, it's more knowledge & service based.

So if we're looking to invest in our economy we should be lobbying for more investment in innovation & development (R & D).

& when we spend our money on consumer goods look for fair trade, local (if possible) & natural products & fewer synthetic bi-products of the petro-chemical industry (unless you're filling your car up - in which case, petro-chemicals are good). & try not to support child or slave labour by buying cheaply & regularly.

A global consumer society can only thrive if we suck up the shit it throws at us.

I buy all meat and fresh fruit and veg Australian only. This means seasonal eating, but painless as there's always something cheap.

Bring on that kangaroo.:o

Is anything cheap in Australia?

nolembit I didn't bring up spain the OP did and yes avoiding things built with "slave labour" is a good idea, it's not quite the same though is it - the vast majority of things made outside britain are not made by slaves (and the Connor case showed that it does happen in Britain so buying British is no way to ensure it.)

Another reason to buy local is that it is better for the environment. My fruit and veg choices are highly influenced by whether the item was grown in the UK or not.

It seems ridiculous to buy fruit and veg shipped from the other side of planet, when we have lots of fruit and veg growing here (not the same kind, but tasty nonetheless!)

Fred - I'd like to help the British jobs over other countries as taken to the extreme, without the private sector jobs thriving and paying taxes there will be no nhs, schools etc. Of course I understand a lot of businesses would have to go under for that to happen, but I would rather support the UK economy than others for this reason and to keep people in jobs.

I don't buy air freighted fruit & veg from South America, etc. Asparagus only gets eaten in this house during the UK asparagus season (which was pitifully poor this year).

If it's oranges from Spain or grapes from France, however, that's a different matter - if it can't be grown successfully here then I get it from the next closest place.

I also choose European wine over new world. Even British wine if I can get it - Chapeldown is very good (but sadly not cheap).

Colleague at work likes to buy British so they buy Ford cars!

Seriously, Honey is right.

Banks are shite to small business, it would make far more difference if they were forced to lend more and at better rates (government is crap on this issue)

I always try and buy British to support British farmers and manufacturers. I think that saying we should be buying from poor countries is ridiculous. The human rights issues alone mean that we should be buying more from Britain not less.

Personally I would rather spend a few quid more on something in the knowlege that it hasn't been made by child labour with no regard to the environment.

And banks are shite to small businesses and always have been.