Somehow we need to be less dependent on China
I love the use of the term “our patch” in the article. Well for one, it’s not your patch! Barry, it’s never been your patch! It’s the local community’s patch and not someone who lives miles away and has no intention of joining meetings that concern something as serious as Covid-19. I mean really it’s not like it’s killing people is it! Just because you want a 1-2-1 meeting wasting time rather than a joint meeting and saving the person time having the same conversation 4-5 times over!. It’s time to move on old Bazza, the time has come to let someone take over that has the areas best interests at heart and not some southern living chap taking a wage from the area for old times sake! Move on, give up, your time is done.
Alun Armstrong (pictured), actor, 74; Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, 73; Wayne Sleep, dancer, 72; David Hasselhoff, actor and singer, 68; Darren
Day, actor, singer and television presenter, 52; Jaap Stam, retired footballer, 48; Konnie Huq (pictured), TV presenter, 45.
IN an attempt to support the UK I am trying to support our manufacturing industries by purchasing items made in the UK.
This support is in its early stages but it is an extremely difficult task. The biggest problem is China as they have their dibs into everything. My recent purchase fell flat when I bought some button batteries.
The blurb on the advert said, Swiss Made. After my purchase I noticed on the packaging in small print, Made in PRC.
In the early 2000s, products made in China began to be written “Made in PRC” instead of “Made in China”. With this method, Chinese goods were camouflaged as manufactured in a different country. PRC stands for the People’s Republic of China. So, the products that say “Made in PRC” are also manufactured in China.
You can draw up your own conclusions as to why China would do this.
Goods from China can be made cheaply in a variety of ways. Historically, low labour costs in China allowed a reduction is variable costs, which made their unit prices cheaper. This applies well to goods where labour costs make up a high percentage of the cost of goods.
If the rest of the world stopped buying from China today the world economy could very well collapse. Our supply chains are much entwined with China and it would take massive investment of time, money, talent, and resources to adapt to such a big change. However it can be done given that time and investment. If you never start you will never change.
In 2018: UK exports to China were worth £22.6bn; imports from China were £44.7bn, resulting in a trade deficit of £22.1bn. The UK had a small surplus with China on trade in services, outweighed by a deficit on trade in goods. China accounted for 3.5% of UK exports and 6.6% of all UK imports. Even I can see there is a huge imbalance.
But take a look at our trading figures with Japan and it is more evenly balanced. British exports to Japan are worth an impressive £14.8bn a year, pretty much evenly split between goods and services, making Japan the UK’s seventh largest market on a value added basis.
Is there any wonder the West cannot compete with China. But compete we must otherwise our manufacturing and jobs are in peril.
The UK needs to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on countries such as China.
TV licences: let’s be the ‘awkward squad’
SIR, on receipt of the licence payment demand let’s all become the ‘awkward squad.’
Reply to the demand as rapidly as any correspondence would be dealt with by the BBC should we write to them, and then use Royal Mail for all queries that may arise.
Write to request a Direct Debit form and on receipt, request weekly payments before returning the form using Royal Mail. The flood of mail they have to handle will show our displeasure as well as keeping our money in our pockets for as long as possible.
Let’s treat the BBC with the contempt they treat us.