. . .
"Made in the UK" and "Buy British" are phrases that we hear a lot. They get used so much that for many people, the gravity of what they mean has been lost. I wrote this article a while ago but it remains as relevant today is it did back then, possibly even more so.
Enjoy
Chris Douglas-Brown
. . .
. . .
"Made in the UK" and "Buy British" are phrases that we hear a lot. They get used so much that for many people, the gravity of what they mean has been lost. I wrote this article a while ago but it remains as relevant today is it did back then, possibly even more so.
Enjoy
Chris Douglas-Brown
. . .
Getting things made in the UK is important to me. If it is already important to you then you probably already know everything I'm about to say. This article is aimed at those that maybe haven't given it much thought or have always brushed it off for one reason or another. Have a read and see what you think. This isn't an article about clothes, it is an article about choices and their far reaching consequences.
. . .
There are three key reasons to get things made in the UK. Environmental, Ethical and Economical. The first two are simple enough to understand so we won't get to bogged down in them. Important though they are, a quick google search of either will give you enough facts and figures to make your head spin. The third is where we'll start going into more detail as this is where you'll see changes in your day to day life.
. . .
Getting things made in the UK is important to me. If it is already important to you then you probably already know everything I'm about to say. This article is aimed at those that maybe haven't given it much thought or have always brushed it off for one reason or another. Have a read and see what you think. This isn't an article about clothes, it is an article about choices and their far reaching consequences.
. . .
There are three key reasons to get things made in the UK. Environmental, Ethical and Economical. The first two are simple enough to understand so we won't get to bogged down in them. Important though they are, a quick google search of either will give you enough facts and figures to make your head spin. The third is where we'll start going into more detail as this is where you'll see changes in your day to day life.
. . .
ENVIRONMENTAL
. . .
This is simple enough. Keeping the production chain as local as possible reduces the transportation carbon footprint which can be massive.
. . .
Most people can easily imagine huge cargo ships full of electronics and clothes crossing the oceans burning tonnes of fuel an hour and polluting the air like theres no tomorrow. The fewer of these we need, the better.
However, it's also important to realise that something as small as buying vegetables produced in the UK saves vast amounts of fuel transporting them from Europe and further afield.
. . .
Simply put, getting things made and produced closer to home does nothing but good for the environment. The closer the better.
. . .
ENVIRONMENTAL
. . .
This is simple enough. Keeping the production chain as local as possible reduces the transportation carbon footprint which can be massive.
. . .
Most people can easily imagine huge cargo ships full of electronics and clothes crossing the oceans burning tonnes of fuel an hour and polluting the air like theres no tomorrow. The fewer of these we need, the better.
However, it's also important to realise that something as small as buying vegetables produced in the UK saves vast amounts of fuel transporting them from Europe and further afield.
. . .
Simply put, getting things made and produced closer to home does nothing but good for the environment. The closer the better.
. . .
ETHICAL
. . .
Working conditions around the world are a well documented topic. The standards and ethics of manufacturing don't just vary from country to country, but from factory to factory within those countries. It is impossible to generalise, so I will just say this. Often you'll hear people in a shop holding up a T-shirt costing £4.00 and saying things like
"I don't know how they make them for this price".
In reality, what they're actually saying is
"I dont want to think about how they make them for this price".
. . .
It is easy to hide from the uncomfortable truth of how some of our posessions are made and I would say that almost all of us are guilty of it to some degree. We all have rechargeable devices. Ever looked into how they mine the cobalt for those batteries??.
. . .
British working standards and wages are strictly regulated. When you buy something made in Britain you can sleep soundly at night knowing that it has been made ethically.
. . .
ETHICAL
. . .
Working conditions around the world are a well documented topic. The standards and ethics of manufacturing don't just vary from country to country, but from factory to factory within those countries. It is impossible to generalise, so I will just say this. Often you'll hear people in a shop holding up a T-shirt costing £4.00 and saying things like
"I don't know how they make them for this price".
In reality, what they're actually saying is
"I dont want to think about how they make them for this price".
. . .
It is easy to hide from the uncomfortable truth of how some of our posessions are made and I would say that almost all of us are guilty of it to some degree. We all have rechargeable devices. Ever looked into how they mine the cobalt for those batteries??.
. . .
British working standards and wages are strictly regulated. When you buy something made in Britain you can sleep soundly at night knowing that it has been made ethically.
. . .
ECONOMIC
. . .
This is where you really start seeing the benefits happening on your doorstep. Without a doubt, the biggest hurdle to anyone wanting to buy things made in the UK is the price. Higher (fairer) working wages naturally mean higher production costs which results in a higher final price to you.
When all is said and done, people want to buy a product at the lowest possible price. This short term gratification, however, is not seeing the whole picture. When you zoom out, you see the tax. A lot of tax. A lot of tax that funds some of the most important things in your life.
The extra money that you spend on something made in Britain soon comes back around to you. Lets look at an example. I'm going to keep this as simple as possible. The British tax system is incredibly complicated and I want you all to be awake for the grand finale. For arguments sake I'm just going to cover VAT (which technically is yours to pay, but I hand it over to HMRC for you) and Corporation Tax (rated at 25% this is a yearly tax on company profits after all expenses, stock, rent, wages etc etc have been paid).
. . .
NOT MADE IN THE UK
Let's say you go into a shop and buy a jumper made abroad. Assuming the shop you bought it from pays UK taxes (another discussion for another day) the money you pay will go something like this. The shop will pay the government your 20% VAT on the jumper and then 25% Corporation Tax at the end of the year. That's it. The shop bought that jumper from abroad and that's where your money went, never to be seen again.
. . .
Now let's say you've walked into Douglas and purchased a jumper. My apologies for shamelessly using my own clothes as an example here, but I know my manufacturing processes better than I know anyone elses!!
ECONOMIC
. . .
This is where you really start seeing the benefits happening on your doorstep. Without a doubt, the biggest hurdle to anyone wanting to buy things made in the UK is the price. Higher (fairer) working wages naturally mean higher production costs which results in a higher final price to you.
When all is said and done, people want to buy a product at the lowest possible price. This short term gratification, however, is not seeing the whole picture. When you zoom out, you see the tax. A lot of tax. A lot of tax that funds some of the most important things in your life.
The extra money that you spend on something made in Britain soon comes back around to you. Lets look at an example. I'm going to keep this as simple as possible. The British tax system is incredibly complicated and I want you all to be awake for the grand finale. For arguments sake I'm just going to cover VAT (which technically is yours to pay, but I hand it over to HMRC for you) and Corporation Tax (rated at 25% this is a yearly tax on company profits after all expenses, stock, rent, wages etc etc have been paid).
. . .
NOT MADE IN THE UK
Let's say you go into a shop and buy a jumper made abroad. Assuming the shop you bought it from pays UK taxes (another discussion for another day) the money you pay will go something like this. The shop will pay the government your 20% VAT on the jumper and then 25% Corporation Tax at the end of the year. That's it. The shop bought that jumper from abroad and that's where your money went, never to be seen again.
. . .
Now let's say you've walked into Douglas and purchased a jumper. My apologies for shamelessly using my own clothes as an example here, but I know my manufacturing processes better than I know anyone elses!!
MADE IN THE UK
. . .
Just like the other shop, I will pay your 20% VAT and then 25% Corporation tax at the end of the year. But that's just the beginning. I got that Jumper made in the UK and these two taxes also apply to every company I purchase from in that chain. Exhaustive list incoming.
. . .
Our knitters, our coat makers, our shirt makers, our lining makers, our label makers, our cashmere spinners, our fabric weavers, our pattern cutters, our business card printers, our packaging makers. The list goes on and on. All of these companies pay those 20% VAT and 25% corporation taxes.
. . .
On top of that, these companies employ hundreds of people in the UK. Each of these people will be paying Income Tax and both the employer and employee will be paying national insurance. All of the employees then spend their money in the UK and the process starts all over again.
. . .
I hope it's clear from this that the amount of tax raised by purchasing things made in the UK is absolutely vast compared to buying things made abroad. Why is this so important?? This tax pays for your NHS, your schools, your police, your firemen and every other service you recieve from the government. "Made in Britain" might be more expensive at the till, but you get so much more for your money in the long run.
. . .
You want to see your public services improving?? You want that pothole on your road filled quicker?? Buy British.
MADE IN THE UK
. . .
Just like the other shop, I will pay your 20% VAT and then 25% Corporation tax at the end of the year. But that's just the beginning. I got that Jumper made in the UK and these two taxes also apply to every company I purchase from in that chain. Exhaustive list incoming.
. . .
Our knitters, our coat makers, our shirt makers, our lining makers, our label makers, our cashmere spinners, our fabric weavers, our pattern cutters, our business card printers, our packaging makers. The list goes on and on. All of these companies pay those 20% VAT and 25% corporation taxes.
. . .
On top of that, these companies employ hundreds of people in the UK. Each of these people will be paying Income Tax and both the employer and employee will be paying national insurance. All of the employees then spend their money in the UK and the process starts all over again.
. . .
I hope it's clear from this that the amount of tax raised by purchasing things made in the UK is absolutely vast compared to buying things made abroad. Why is this so important?? This tax pays for your NHS, your schools, your police, your firemen and every other service you recieve from the government. "Made in Britain" might be more expensive at the till, but you get so much more for your money in the long run.
. . .
You want to see your public services improving?? You want that pothole on your road filled quicker?? Buy British.
If everyone in the UK started making a concious effort to buy things made in Britain, many things would change.
. . .
Vast quantities of jobs would be created. Governments come and go and all of them talk about "creating jobs". These are often half baked ideas and temporary solutions. Realistically, the only way to create sustainable jobs is to create a sustainable need for jobs. If that "need" was something as all encompasing as "British made" it would create jobs in every single sector in Britain. If the people decided to buy British products, British companies would need to make more products To make more products they would need to hire and employ more people.
. . .
The cost of the British made goods would go down. Manufacturing costs would go down with the increase in quantities and a greater demand for British made goods would see new companies emerging and spark competition between british makers rusulting in lower prices to you, the consumer.
. . .
As discussed, all public services would improve greatly due to the amount of extra tax raised. I would confidently assume that you'd all prefer the government to obtain more tax through a thriving indigenous economy rather than reaching deeper and deeper into your individual pockets??
. . .
It's easy to feel like there is a mountain to climb here. Like buying a locally grown potato to save the NHS is like trying to put out a house fire by posting a selfie. It's not going to make a difference. Just remember that every idea starts small. It then grows into becoming the norm. Small individual changes on a national level would make a huge difference.
. . .
Maybe just go to your local greengrocer and spend a few extra pounds on fruit and veg that has been grown locally. Believe me it will be much fresher and the farmers will thank you. Maybe buy just one British made jumper this year instead of 10 cheap imports. Believe me, it will last a lot longer and the British manufacturers will forever appreciate it...
... as will the environment.
... and the economy.
... and the NHS.
... and the Police.
... and the Firemen.
... and the factory workers.
... and their families.
... and the communities who have new jobs.
... and the schools your children go to.
... and dont forget the pothole fillers.
. . .
It's getting harder and harder to get things made in the UK as manufacturing moves abroad and factories close. I can personally attest to this in the clothing industry. You currently have the luxury of being able to choose between "Buy British" and "Don't buy British". If something doesn't change soon, buying something "Made in the UK" won't even be an option. When that option goes, all of the benefits will go with it.
. . .
Don't be fooled by Union Jacks plastered all over branding. Don't be fooled by "Designed in the UK" This is not the same thing. All of my clothes are designed in the store. That does not mean I have an army of knitters locked away in the cellar. Note to self - expand cellar and capture an army of knitters. Manufacturing in the UK is expensive compared to abroad. Many brands do not want to pay that expense but still want to be thought of as "British made". You'd be surprised at how many of the biggest brands aren't as "British made" as you might think. Research your brands, find the ones that are actually putting money into UK manufacturing. If it doesn't explicitly say "Made in the UK" in the online description or on a physical tag then its probably not made in the UK.
If everyone in the UK started making a concious effort to buy things made in Britain, many things would change.
. . .
Vast quantities of jobs would be created. Governments come and go and all of them talk about "creating jobs". These are often half baked ideas and temporary solutions. Realistically, the only way to create sustainable jobs is to create a sustainable need for jobs. If that "need" was something as all encompasing as "British made" it would create jobs in every single sector in Britain. If the people decided to buy British products, British companies would need to make more products To make more products they would need to hire and employ more people.
. . .
The cost of the British made goods would go down. Manufacturing costs would go down with the increase in quantities and a greater demand for British made goods would see new companies emerging and spark competition between british makers rusulting in lower prices to you, the consumer.
. . .
As discussed, all public services would improve greatly due to the amount of extra tax raised. I would confidently assume that you'd all prefer the government to obtain more tax through a thriving indigenous economy rather than reaching deeper and deeper into your individual pockets??
. . .
It's easy to feel like there is a mountain to climb here. Like buying a locally grown potato to save the NHS is like trying to put out a house fire by posting a selfie. It's not going to make a difference. Just remember that every idea starts small. It then grows into becoming the norm. Small individual changes on a national level would make a huge difference.
. . .
Maybe just go to your local greengrocer and spend a few extra pounds on fruit and veg that has been grown locally. Believe me it will be much fresher and the farmers will thank you. Maybe buy just one British made jumper this year instead of 10 cheap imports. Believe me, it will last a lot longer and the British manufacturers will forever appreciate it...
... as will the environment.
... and the economy.
... and the NHS.
... and the Police.
... and the Firemen.
... and the factory workers.
... and their families.
... and the communities who have new jobs.
... and the schools your children go to.
... and dont forget the pothole fillers.
. . .
It's getting harder and harder to get things made in the UK as manufacturing moves abroad and factories close. I can personally attest to this in the clothing industry. You currently have the luxury of being able to choose between "Buy British" and "Don't buy British". If something doesn't change soon, buying something "Made in the UK" won't even be an option. When that option goes, all of the benefits will go with it.
. . .
Don't be fooled by Union Jacks plastered all over branding. Don't be fooled by "Designed in the UK" This is not the same thing. All of my clothes are designed in the store. That does not mean I have an army of knitters locked away in the cellar. Note to self - expand cellar and capture an army of knitters. Manufacturing in the UK is expensive compared to abroad. Many brands do not want to pay that expense but still want to be thought of as "British made". You'd be surprised at how many of the biggest brands aren't as "British made" as you might think. Research your brands, find the ones that are actually putting money into UK manufacturing. If it doesn't explicitly say "Made in the UK" in the online description or on a physical tag then its probably not made in the UK.
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