How much is "made in Britain" worth to you?

daviesee

Rick Chasey wrote:

Seems pretty happy to subsidise the industry where the UK does have a competitive advantage (banking).

True.
I am still unclear as to why banking gets such favourable treatment. Back handers to politicians or politicians on the board? Who knows :evil:
Maybe not too favourable at an international level as all banks seem to be getting help one way or another these days. Look at Spain.
Still against the rules though.....
http://ec.europa.eu/trade/tackling-unfa ... i-subsidy/

Hoopdriver

DavidBelcher wrote:

PeteinSQ wrote:

Cycle clothing company Velobici is about to launch some new "performance roadwear" that is priced rather steeply (£140 for the jersey, £130 for shorts) which looks like it intends to compete with Rapha and Le Col. Not having actually seen the stuff in the flesh I can't really say how good or otherwise it is but assuming that it is at least as good as Rapha or Le Col's offerings (for the sake of argument and this thread) how much of a premium are you willing to attach to the fact that the Velobici stuff is actually made here in the UK?

There's a link to the velobici site here: http://www.velobici.cc/roadwear-42-c.asp

I can't really afford any of the brands discussed btw but thought it would be interesting to see what people think of the Made in Britain sentiment? Does it bother you at all or not?

I always try to buy a UK-made product where one is offered/available. But in this instance, you can plump for Lusso kit made in Manchester for a lot less cash than that.

Sometimes the premium is tiny or non-existent such as favouring Fibrax brake blocks and cables over imported stuff (which sadly includes Clarks these days, no longer made in Brum).

David

I agree. Although I've not tried the Velobici stuff, I woud be deeply sceptical that hey can justify the big price tag and that their stuff is goin to be that much better than Rapha. Maybe it is, but I am skeptical. While I'm happy to pay a premium for British manufacture, the product has to meet my ideals of British qulity to mak me want to jump.

rick_chasey

daviesee wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Seems pretty happy to subsidise the industry where the UK does have a competitive advantage (banking).

True.
I am still unclear as to why banking gets such favourable treatment. Back handers to politicians or politicians on the board? Who knows :evil:
Maybe not too favourable at an international level as all banks seem to be getting help one way or another these days. Look at Spain.
Still against the rules though.....
http://ec.europa.eu/trade/tackling-unfa ... i-subsidy/

By the time those rules were in place the German industry had been fostered enough that it was internationally competitive on its own.

Finance is a big big big earner for the UK.

That unbalance has problems, and the financial sector generally comes with its own problems (as do other industries too - I'm sure car factories pollute the environment plenty more than banks for example - and EU rules re-polluting cars makes it more and more expensive to make cars), but the UK would be mad to really hurt it's biggest industry.

It contributes roughly something like 10% last IIRC.

Ron Stuart

There are many countries whose standard of living has risen far quicker than Britain's since the war without the need for a financial industry as such, indeed it rather has distracted if anything for the need in the past to invest in other industries and in particular the standard of management of said businesses.

daviesee

Rick Chasey wrote:

.... but the UK would be mad to really hurt it's biggest industry.

It contributes roughly something like 10% last IIRC.

New topic and I am going to drop this tangent but I guess that the arguement is that bail outs do not count as subsidies. But of course they are....

Back to where you were - The reason that the Government does not subsidise manufacturing is that they are not allowed to.

rick_chasey

daviesee wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

.... but the UK would be mad to really hurt it's biggest industry.

It contributes roughly something like 10% last IIRC.

New topic and I am going to drop this tangent but I guess that the arguement is that bail outs do not count as subsidies. But of course they are....

Back to where you were - The reason that the Government does not subsidise manufacturing is that they are not allowed to.

Yeah for sure, but when the German manufacturing industry was still embryonic and uncompetitive post war it was allowed and indeed encouraged. Now, it doesn't have to be, hence they're happy to have the 'no subsidy for manufacturing' rule. That protects their competitive position within Europe.

It's the same with firms like samsung. They were protected for years, decades even, untill eventually they were strong enough to compete without help. Now look at them. The same can be said for Japansese car manufacturers. In the '40s and '50s they were dogshite.

Le Commentateur

As with the US economy in the 19th century, to protect itself from the economies of colonialist nations like Britain.

rick_chasey

Le Commentateur wrote:

As with the US economy in the 19th century, to protect itself from the economies of colonialist nations like Britain.

Quite.

Well thought out, considered protectionism makes sense for nations that are uncompetitive.

It won't always work, in the same way private firms don't always succeed, but if it's well enough considered it's should work.

PeteinSQ

But then where did protectionism get us in the 20s?

rick_chasey

PeteinSQ wrote:

But then where did protectionism get us in the 20s?

Different kind of protectionism though.

Like I said, it's should be considered, measured, well thought out and specific. Not just a way to halt global liquidity and reduce the economies of specialisation.

TiBoy

I am a little biased as I know Chris and Tara from Velobici quite well after meeting them at a show last year, I have seen the new Roadwear collection and it is pretty impressive. The quality is amazing and Chris has spent nearly 18 months developing the range, he has even gone as far as having his own fabric made because he could not find one with the technical features he wanted.

If you think of top end Assos at a lower price rather than Rapha it makes a bit more sense plus you get the benefit of the made in Britain thing.

All I would say is that the fact it is made in Britain is a nice extra, the cost is in the finish and attention to detail is what counts, it would be interesting to see a review from someone independent who gets one when they are launched.

rick_chasey

Wrong thread mate.