Why don't we just buy British?

[Flipatron]

With the state of our economy at the moment and what seems like a slow slide into a third world country, why can't we insist on buying British goods?

[Y282]

we don't do a reasonably priced 2 door manual rwd coupe with 300+. that's my excuse.

[Eric Mc]

List the high quality British products that we don't buy in favour of "foreign" goods?

[AndrewW-G]

Flipatron said:

With the state of our economy at the moment and what seems like a slow slide into a third world country, why can't we insist on buying British goods?

good idea, it is however a tad difficult . . . . . .try buying british for a week and you'll find that its near impossible, as the options just arent their when you look on the shelves of or retailers

[thetapeworm]

Flipatron said:

With the state of our economy at the moment and what seems like a slow slide into a third world country, why can't we insist on buying British goods?

Would there be enough goods to satisfy demand at a price that makes this possible?

[Flipatron]

Trick isn't it!

I fear that 20 years ago it was possible but today you'd struggle.

[Halb]

Would there be any argument on what 'British' is? How British does it need to be? 100%?

[Flipatron]

Halb said:

Would there be any argument on what 'British' is? How British does it need to be? 100%?

I suppose it depends on the item, in most cases no.

However, I think if we've the skills and resources to manufacture it ourselves then why the hell not?

[anonymous-user]

Eric Mc said:

List the high quality British products

It's hard to isn't it, there's not many left.

As a nation we wanted everything cheaper and it's often cheaper to manufacture abroad and ship here, you can't have it all.

In food we've become accustomed to having huge choice all year round (instead of buying what's in season), so if you want strawberries in December there's little choice but to import.

[Riley Blue]

Flipatron said:

However, I think if we've the skills and resources to manufacture it ourselves then why the hall not?

That's a very big 'if'.

[glazbagun]

A chart of how briitsh items are would certainly help. I wouldn't mind maybe paying 10-30% more for my biscuits/generic household item if there was a breakdown of how much money would return to the UK economy.

[Flipatron]

glazbagun said:

A chart of how briitsh items are would certainly help. I wouldn't mind maybe paying 10-30% more for my biscuits/generic household item if there was a breakdown of how much money would return to the UK economy.

I doubt the EU would allow it TBH.

[DocJock]

I've started this process by refusing to buy anything French.

The missus hates going to the supermarket with me.

[anonymous-user]

DocJock said:

I've started this process by refusing to buy anything French.

When you go to Macdonalds do you ask for a Big Mac and 'freedom' fries?

[Deva Link]

It irks me that we don't buy British, or even local, more - but then I had buy my daughter a mediaum sized car recently (long standing promise) and really wanted to buy Vauxhall Astra as we live fairly near the factory, one of my neighbours is a manager there, and I have access to several ways of getting Astra at a very good price.

..but I just bring myself to invest my own money in an Astra and brought her a Golf instead.

[Eric Mc]

The Astra is German anyway.

Motor cars are a global industry so you can be a British Nissan or Peugeot or a German Ford.

The only proper "British" cars are those which are tyhose low volume sports cars - and even then components will be sourced from all over the place.

[Mattt]

Flipatron said:

I doubt the EU would allow it TBH.

Even for large state procurement, we must offer it to EU competition through OJEU.

[Deva Link]

Eric Mc said:

The Astra is German anyway.

It's built in Ellesmere Port.

[Deva Link]

Mattt said:

Flipatron said:

I doubt the EU would allow it TBH.

Even for large state procurement, we must offer it to EU competition through OJEU.

,...which everyone in the EU ignores, except for us. Even for the recent train contract, apparently we could have taken the overall economic impact into account, but that term wasn't written into the original tender document.

[Crafty_]

Deva Link said:

It's built in Ellesmere Port.

The last model was also built in Belgium, not sure about the current one.