Anyone watch that Evan Davis Made in Britain show last night?

[d000hg]

I assume they'll be showing the Stig in that car in a few weeks? It was the TG track, right?

[BoredBloke]

Yes it was their track - Felt he completely missed the point in the show. i.e. it's ok to let China have our volume manufacturing so long as we keep the small very high value sectors. Although he did touch on the fact that our manufacturing sector is far too small to sustain us.

[Zippy]

I assume they'll be showing the Stig in that car in a few weeks? It was the TG track, right?

Yes, I think it was the TG track. Evan Davis' face was a picture as ex Stig chucked it around
I thought the rest of the program was a bit rambling. He didn't really back up his assertions IMO. I bet the bogs and the coffee at McLaren are superb, though.

[d000hg]

Felt he completely missed the point in the show. i.e. it's ok to let China have our volume manufacturing so long as we keep the small very high value sectors

Is that your view, or the view you disagree with?

Evan Davis' face was a picture as ex Stig chucked it around

I didn't realise, was that really an ex-Stig?

[BoredBloke]

He missed the point all the way through as he was gushing about how great we were at making this high value stuff while only touching on the point that we don't make enough

[PAH]

I didn't realise, was that really an ex-Stig?

Knowing the Beeb, that was the current stig and they've just outed him . Probably thought we'd not notice it was the TG track as they appeared to be driving around it in the opposite direction in some parts.

The bit that made me do a massive was when Evan was saying that if we keep spending (i.e. a consumer society that relies heavily on imports) there's going to be trouble, but if we lock more of our money into our pensions we'll probably be alright. Hmmmm. It's consumer spending that has kept the country afloat for a while now.

[OwlHoot]

.. Felt he completely missed the point in the show. i.e. it's ok to let China have our volume manufacturing so long as we keep the small very high value sectors.

Fine, but the Chinese aren't stupid. What happens when they pinch the "small, high value sectors" too?

[gingerjedi]

He didn't really back up his assertions IMO.

Yes like how it was ok for Leeds to lose 100,000 textile jobs as they'd been replaced by a couple of thousand making jet fighters over the other side of the Pennines.

[BoredBloke]

Fine, but the Chinese aren't stupid. What happens when they pinch the "small, high value sectors" too?

That's what I kept saying to myself. There was this guy on from Bromptons who to me looked ripe for having thier product taken away by cheaper competition. He was showing the workmanship and care that was taken putting together each bike. That's as may be, but how cheaply can a machine put them together or how about a chap in a factory in China. With a bike going for £700 each there is plenty of scope for cost savings. I bet a bike could be done in China at a 7th of the cost and be 70% as good. I think many people would plump for the cheaper alternative!

[gingerjedi]

Indeed.

The Blomptons will be almost as good & much cheaper.

Loved the bit where the chap was brazing stuff together with oxyacetylene.

I didn't know that was used on a production basis any more.

Nice straight bit of brazing.

I used to do a bit oxyacetylene welding, turn the oxygen down and cover everything with silky black soot.

I think he made the point that his customers wouldn't want a Brompton if it wasn't made in the UK, I know UK built Nissans used to go for a premium in Japan.