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?

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
That's my philosophy too Marshmallowpies. Why buy imported apples, for example, when we are a nation of apple growers!

Those who like to buy british should look at buying astonish products.
They make all sorts of cleaning products which are british, cruelty free and environmentally friendly.
They are also cheaper than the big brands like mr muscle and detrol and they are much better. There oven cleaner is amazing.

Ford are American.

If banks would just pay their feckin invoices on time that would help.

I may be bitter, however.

Depends what it is! If its exactly the same item then yes, buy local rather.

"Ford are american"

That was exactly my point, hence the exclamation mark. Sometimes people like my colleague who feel the need to bang on about supporting British industry are actually a little bit dim. He's of the 'foreigners coming over here and stealing all our jobs' persuasion

Ah, I wondered. British cars are a bit crap really, unless you can afford Aston Martin!

My pushchair is British. Almost local, in fact, Babystyle are about half an hour's drive away!

I buy what i can afford. I dont look at where its made. I did see a program once about 'british' meat. The meat came from abroad but because it was packaged in Britain the company could put a british label on it.

I don't think we have any obligation to buy British, and I'm as patriotic as it gets.

Consumers should buy what best suits their needs, budget, and should be free the best quality, or just the design they like the most.

It's up to manufacturers to be competitive and provide good quality products within a reasonable budget, and it's up to government to ensure that British companies are not disadvantadged by price constraints because of tax regulations. It is not up to the consumer to do these things at all.

I recently got a bicycle on the cycle to work scheme & got a Pashley which are built in Britain and look and ride fantastic
. I mostly shop at Lidl which are
German I know but are good at sourcing their meat from GB.
Also my Dm won't buy Cadburys anymore as they are now made in Poland I think (except for maltesers) although I eat Flakes as they are only 135 calories

Aston Martin are a British company? They're mostly owned by Ford, Kuwaiti investment banks, Texan bankers and such. Just because they're notionally a British corporation doesn't mean they're British. They almost certainly employ less UK people, pay less UK tax, etc. etc. than Ford - Which was the argument for not buying a Ford?

I stand corrected. I'd still have one if I had the money.

It's nearly impossible for a British manufacturing company to be competative with a Chinese manufacturing company unless you abolish the minimum wage and allow near slave labour, plus get rid of business rates, business taxation, EU legislation, etc, etc. The only manufacturers that are managing to compete are niche or high tech.

Ford have factories in the UK and employ around 6,000 people. I would buy Ford to buy British, just as I would by Honda to buy British.

It is easy to see whether meat is British or not - just look for the little red tractor. And buying foreign meat is an awful thing to do on many levels, especially when it isn't necessarily cheaper to buy foreign meat.

I try my best to buy Scottish where possible. I don't really have much desire to support the English or Welsh economies when I could be supporting the Scottish one.

I never buy Danish bacon even though it's much cheaper.

Or do what we do and ingenious and awesome , British manufacturer supplies to British businesses and gets fucked up the arse by British banks who squirrel money away from the UK.

OK, so all the English people should not buy Scottish. Just English.

I worked for an assistance company who assisted Aston Martin (working in the UK). They are, without exception, the loveliest bunch of people I have ever had the good fortune to speak to. And, this is coming from a leftie.

It would be nice if local councils supported small local businesses as this means taxes are spent back in the local community rather than going else where or even outside the country.

The problem we've found though, is the tendering process makes it virually impossible for small businesses to compete; not because they are more expensive or unable to fulfil the order to a very high standard. Its because they can't comply with standards and procedure - things like ISO9000 - because the cost of actually setting up the system are prohibitive or really rather pointless because the company is so small.

On top of this councils can not legally favour British businesses over foreign ones thanks to EU law. Thing is, this doesn't stop the french - we enforce the law differently to other European nations to the letter of the law and to our detriment. I actually like Europe as an idea and firmly believe our problem isn't the laws, its actually how we don't play the system like everyone else.

& we (Britain) no longer have a manufacturing economy

Err, that's not true at all. UK manufacturing is still responsible for 10-15% of GDP and we are one of the most important countries in the sector. Granted, we don't make a lot of consumer tat or clothing these days. Quite good at weapons tho ;)