Charles Moore

The UK, land of fantasy
Fantasy politics, it's a very popular thing right now. Both at the EU and domestic level and therein lies the problem, it does have a downside. In the end the fantasy turns to comedy and then to misery. Take the fantasy of the coalition harping on about growth. What does this mean? It's not just the cynical who might say all this will lead to more wind farms and yet more immigration. What can grow? Industrial output is hemmed in by the environmental obsession. Pro-Green means anti-industry if the promoters of the greening are ideologues rather than realists. And they are.

So the de-industrialisation of the UK has to be accepted as a fact. When did it start; who to blame? However, this won't be a fruitful line of inquiry for anyone, least of all any of the post-WW2 governments. For they all, to a greater and lesser degree, made the right noises but all just watched as industry slid down the slippery slope. Not to worry! We have other things to do, alas the other things, what we now call financial services, did not turn out to be a problem free area either. So what happens now?

Well we are at the stage of something must be done, which is always dangerous for the temptation will be to grab at straws. It's no good talking about apprenticeships, that route will take far too long to show results.