A nation of the industrial revolution? Cars

[Drift]

Well we led the world, but seems a few decades a ago a decision was made to ruin our foundations....could this have been a Tory issue, seems a veiled insinuation in this report
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13179589

[bigdazz]

we use to be world leaders look at us now

[andysd1]

well delphi, by me, has thinned down so much over the 10 years its unbelievable


was known as ac delco, its now a 5th of the size it use to be,

[john (smifffy)]

andy
its the same in dunstable the ac-delco plant has compleately gone has flats and housing built on it
also gone is the large cement works
also lost the vauxhall bedford truck plant plus chrysler/rootes/dodge/commer plant which became renault trucks which is gone
also lost 2 large printers and cross paperware factory who made all the paper partyware and fancy paper stuff all gone with house on them
all we have in dunstable now are estate agents and fast food outlets

[Wilberforce]

Used to be a Delco place down here in Southampton docks too. That went a few years ago, bulldozed and now it's got a salt stockpile & Ford export parking on it.

[Big Dav]

The lack of nearby suppliers is also a bone of contention when politicians advocate the purtchase of "green low emission vehicles". Hardly "green" when you consider the distances many components have travelled around the globe to arrive at the assembly plant and the fuels burnt to get them there.
With much dependence on parts from Japan, the earthquake has identified a weakness worldwide, for reliance on a
one-nation component manufacturing base.
Had components been made in many locations around the world transport costs could be reduced and supply less affected by national disaster or interruption.
Some national financiers had steered the world towards each country being identified as a sole producer of specific items but recent events have shown how risky that can be.
All the eggs in one basket??

[drinksoptional]

You think after what happend in the war they would of been a bit more inteligent instead of trying to break the uk up they should of been pulling it together now most of our stuff comes from abroad more import than export . Japan earthquake lack of components not be gonna be much made there now. They shut down so much industry when i grew up took away apprenticeships replaced it with a two year youth trianing which basicall ment cheap skivvys. This created myself included half trianed in nothing on dole at by 19 years old cause the company didnt get free labour any more . Even then there was no jobs to go too created a 10 year generation of unemployed hence why we have a benifit society lack of skills or self belief. Time i got to 21 i had to retrain i had a number of jobs in variose fields just to get by.
So what do we have now a country that relies on imported labour and products lets hope we dont fall out with any one

[andysd1]

the thing that bugs me the most about the is country, well one of them is, we dont use GB any more, its now, the UK,

[drinksoptional]

i dont regard myself as british i see myself as scottish and see britsh as english. Now before you get all anti english im not I just for an independant scotland and a scottish stamp on my ass

[Drift]

[bigdazz]

my dad English born in derby mums Scottish so am i but i regard myself as British .as i served in the British army not the Scottish army

but i will be calling my first born William Wallace lol

[Big Dav]

But dazz........what if its a girl???

(On topic) What could be done to revitalise the nations (UK/GB or whatever) industrial might? Impose an import tax?

[snapper]

[snapper]

[Roo]

Snapper said ''
Bin the stupid devolved assemblies or governments what ever they call themselves in Scotland, Wales and NI. They should never have been set up in the first place, serve no real usefull purpose, cost the tax payer billions with yet another load of politiicians to pay for (plus the hangers on etc) and go a long way to splitting the UK up. Instead England, Scotland, Wales and NI must be treated the same, across the board. Same laws, everything.'' Totally agree with you there I am Welsh and I'd always thought I would always live here, but since they have divided up GB, I for one will move to England in the future ..

Cheers
Roo.. sorry if I have gone off topic

[fynn]

snapper yo are100 percent correct ,and a very well worded and
thought out post.GB forever

[snapper]

[snapper]

Oh and another thing..... tis about time we as a nation started to exploit all the good ideas, scientific research, inventions etc that this great Nation (The UK) have and do, instead of practically giving them away abroad for others to exploit and make all the money from.

Without us, and our industrial ideas the US would still be breeding moo cows as their main industry and trying to work out how one of those new fangeled steam engines worked....

[SnortonR]

[fynn]