The UK no longer makes anything. We facilitate and service. But that type of work only works for certain people, with certain skills, in certain areas.
The same goes for many other western economies.
The Tories are almost exclusively responsible for that. With education and long-term industrial policy, there could have been an enormous high-tech manufacturing sector underpinned by an educated workforce to replace the older primary industries like coal mining and "low secondary" like bulk steel.
These policies should have started in the early 80s, but instead at that time they started slashing and selling.
Germany has a lot of faults policy-wise, but they somehow managed to keep manufacturing despite spending trillions on reunification right in middle.
To be fair Germany's manufacturing sector has no secret sauce that Germany invented, but is a sector that managed to survive mostly due to cheap energy from Russian gas, which is now gone, and is highly dependent on a constant stream of mass migration keeping wages in manufacturing low and therefore the cost of German exports competitive.
One of the biggest German policy failures will probably turn out to be the lack of investment in nuclear power to underpin the next 50 years. Maybe their solar and wind efforts will be sufficient, or a battery revolution will fortuitously save the situation, but I have doubts.
Meanwhile, someone British who heard I studied engineering: "are you going to do TV repair?"
but this isn't a problem, unless people refuses to adapt and change to face this new economic reality.
There's something to be said about lack of up-skilling programs funded by the govt, but why does the responsibility of one's life and financial wellbeing fall onto the govt, rather than themselves?
On the other hand, brexit was a disaster, and is just pouring salt into the wound.
If 45% of a country's adult population are somehow unable to "adapt to the new economic reality" then this is definitely a policy problem and not just a matter of "personal responsibility".
> why does the responsibility of one's life and financial wellbeing fall onto the govt, rather than themselves?
What is a government for if not that?
to ensure that nobody but them has the force to interfere with another person's life, with the goal of maintaining order and peace.
What about Bentley, Rolls Royce, submarines, jet engines and other aero parts, luxury goods, Dr. WHO, Top Gear, short term politicians and more?
Also buckfast ;)
>> The UK no longer makes anything
≈≈ The UK has a weak manufacturing sector OR
≈≈ The UK does not manufacture much.