40 years of improvement – the UK Car’s industry

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I’ve just got back from a day trip to England. People seemed to be prospering, although a lot of people seemed to have drunk the cool aid that things were so much better before the UK joined the EU in 1972 than they were today.

I was curious. The UK car industry is touted as an example of why membership of the EU has been bad for the UK.

Do the facts add up: Car Production

Car production seems to be doing very well.

I checked on line, and the UK Car makers have this very helpful chart that shows that things really are doing well.

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Source: http://www.smmt.co.uk/2014/01/uk-car-manufacturing-hits-six-year-high/

Also, it seems that a lot of skilled people are working in the UK making these cars.

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Source: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-2548149/How-booming-British-car-manufacturing-helped-drive-economy-upwards.html

A Lot has changed for the better in 40 years

Now, the numbers are down from the 1970s. But, a lot has changed in 40 odd years since the UK joined the EU. A car plant from 1972 and a modern one is a very different place. Computers and robots are two good things and no-strike agreements are another.

Now it seems that British Leyland used to employ nearly 180,000 people in the early 1970s. Now, my recollection was that they produced embarrassing rust buckets that British customers were happy to switch away from to Japanesse cars were allowed in. British customers still had to pay for British Leyland via the infusion of taxpayers’ subsidies. Of course it did work and British Leyland was finally and thankfully closed down.

Some people, like the UK Socialist Party (I was surprised to see they still exist) are against these improvements. Economic nationalism has it appeals, but this the gutter of the economic scoundrel, and the direct pathway to poverty.

People can make a lot more from a lot less. It takes less human and natural resources – and that’s a good thing. That the cars we can buy in the UK are now better, more efficient and reliable, and cost a lot less, is a case for celebration. That we have on offer so many choices from the UK and other countries is a case to rejoice. You can try and stand up against these forces of nature but your chances of succeeding in the real world are about as much as anyone wanting to buy the Austin Allegro.