National bench marking

 

Subject: National bench marking.



There was a time when to reference something in the world at large you referenced it against something which was part of the UK experience. Steel manufacturing, the aeronautical industry,  medical and pharmaceutical, university education, nuclear, chemical  the list goes on. We led, with America, the R&D of a great deal of the science and innovation that propelled mankind into the 21st century. We also played a principle part in the 17th century, the voyages of exploration and the subsequent colonisation carried out from these shores, the heroic ‘dare do’ stories passed down to the children made us feel proud to be British. The Industrial Revolution took place here as our ships goods and commenced ranged around the world. And whilst our current situation is far less bright, we are rarely mentioned in cutting edge technology, other than perhaps our top universities and are in danger of becoming seen as being second rate.

Now there’s nothing wrong in acknowledging you are not what you were, to be the best demands massive expenditure and funneling expenditure away from expenditure on the  social aspects of our citizens into glamorous projects which largely benefit only a few high tech companies. It is of course good for national esteem and that in itself is beneficial but unless you can afford it, t’s contribution to a nations overall  well being is questionable.

We like to think of ourselves as leaders in all types of fields of endeavour, from our parliamentary democracy to our remarkable NHS where, unlike most countries in the world, expensive medical treatment is free at the point of need. We are unaccustomed to seeing wholesale violence on our streets and the rule of law is on the whole maintained without policemen being armed, the countryside is largely unspoiled, the traffic considerate and its a peaceful country to live in. But there are flaws as we continue to fall behind comparable countries in for instance the pensions we pay and our care of the elderly which leaves much to be desired. We are still, a class ridden society with many  anachronistic values secured by privilege. Our education system continues to fail a large section of the population leading to one of the worst workplace  productivity levels with severe implications for  manufacturing. We cling to outmoded systems of patronage which filter into our sense of a top down management style which  oppresses new ways of doing things. We reward  making money not by innovative manufacturing but by the manipulation of the Money market.

Short term planning and limited economic horizons have been the bane of our political system where decision making has to fit into a  parliamentary cycle dictated by five yearly general elections and the political need to bamboozle  the electorate with promises which no party has the intention of keeping. Economic foresight is an anathema to the politician since he might not gain any personal benefit and politics has largely become a self serving exercise. It’s not helped by Bozo Johnson defending his politicians when they have been seen to break the rules on the financial benefits of second jobs whilst in the public service, to the extent he was prepared to not only ditch the rules but the Commissioner who adjudicated on them. His wish for us to be seen as a banana republic is slowly coming to fruition as he attempts to backtrack on legally binding EU agreements regarding the customs arrangements between Northern and Southern Ireland which will have a lasting detrimental effects on our future feelings with Europe. He’s like a little gunboat firing off small arms fire at the battleship, not yet up to speed on our new standing in the world or understanding that without sizeable trade with Europe we are broke.

The memories of a gun boats diplomacy on the Yangtze with a sub-lieutenant taking the helm under fire from political guerrillas on the left bank is long gone instead its  replaced with an armed drone guided by who knows who from a  dugout in just about any country with a political interest.

As heads are currently bowed in a two minute silence remembering the dead of two world wars, who’s  fallen warriors would not recognise the dismembering of that once revered institution, the Mother of Parliaments, in Westminster Palace