How can we persuade our manufacturers to demonstrate their Britishness?
It seems ironic that while our teenagers are being bribed, sorry offered council tax and student fee rebate incentives if they volunteer to take an allegiance oath to Queen and country, our British companies are opting to produce items thousands of miles away rather than at home. Should they be offered similar incentives, I wonder, to keep their trade here.
I’ve just learnt that a new low calorie bar of Kit Kat is to be made in Bulgaria rather than on its site in York. A Kit Kat is surely one of our symbols of Britishness. It is expected that Girls Aloud will launch the new range, called Senses in a £10 million deal in April. It is intended for the UK market.
And even our mint Polos are made in Indonesia, as well as York; a local retailer was recently criticised for stocking up with the Asian version which had a 7,300 mile journey to his shop. Well done to the York Press for its great headline, “Polo, the mint causing a hole in the ozone.”
Nestlé is a member of the Food and Drink Federation, and has signed up to its five-step plan to tackle global warming, which includes a drive to reduce air-miles.
I agree that seems totally ridiculous, all those air miles clocked up. You know they even fly prawns out from Scotland to the Far East to be shelled, and then fly them back again!
Hey, last night I dreamt I was in a Tory Party Conference and met you there! Gordon Brown was also there: he seemed to know me and asked how my seabird research was going! It wasn’t until I woke up that I realised it was odd that he should be there! LOL! I guess I had been listening to the Liberal Conference and it was on my mind!
See you in my dreams 😉
And Cadburys are closing the old Frys factory in Keynsham – to have the products made in Poland. I will endeavour to boycott them BUT feel that is not really the point – the Polish are entitled to work, yes, just not our chocolates!
Just a quick visit…thanks for your good wishes.
Good luck getting anything made in Britain. We don’t seem to make much of anything in America anymore.
Except scandals. We make lots of scandals.
Maalie, I love your dream, how funny. I will let you into a secret, I have never ever been to a Tory Party Conference, so you are unlikely to meet me there. I’m too busy at home with the boys and my work, though I am sure I would enjoy it.
Well Shirl, if our government is keen to promote Britishness, let’s get that: “Made in Britain” sign back on our products. Never mind “bribing” school kids to make oaths.
Curmudgeon, we have our fair share of scandals here too!
We seem to be good at sending British products to other countries, but not the illegal immigrants.
I suppose as consumers in a free market economy we have the power to change everything!
Forsake Kit Kats for some others!
The other day someone pointed out to me that a certain brand of frozen vegetables in the store here came from China. So I started to check. I found another one where the vegetables were a product of Belgium. What the heck? This continent has a huge production of vegetables, why are we buying them from tiny Belgium who probably don’t produce enough to feed their own population? Where are their vegetables coming from? I don’t get it.
Barack Obama’s suggested giving US companies incentives to bring their manufacturing bases back home.
Whatever happened to Englishness?
Production follows cheap labour.
I have no issue with free market competition or the free flow of people; the British working class aren’t owed a living any more than any other people – but what I feel is entirely iniquitous is our welfare and healthcare being shared with people who have contributed nothing whatsoever towards it.
This is a gross betrayal by our politicians.
Ridiculous and sad, as you say, Ellee and I am devastated to read Shirl’s comment above!