Meep wrote:This highlights that there is a real shortage of actually 'British' products. The sad thing is that so many UK industries have been sold off to foreign owners and its own government doesn't lift a finger to stop them, probably because they are too busy feathering their own nests. Remember ARM? The crown jewel of the British technology sold off. Yet I remember Brexiters hailing the news as a sign of confidence in Britain; as if a foreign buyer taking advantage of the low value of sterling to takeover one of the country's most important future assets was something to cheer about. Patriots my arse. The same goes for most of major utilities, which are often left in the hands of foreign state owned companies to help subsidise the cost of their own local services.
The irony of the right wing Brexiters is they are the ones who have been selling their own country out for decades.
I think there is a definite divide between British brand names (which genuinely still mean something worldwide) and who now actually owns them. I think the car industry is probably the most depressing in a way (Aston Martin, Mini, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Land Rover, Jaguar...I mean every aspirational car you think about is practically ours). But you also see similar in America with quintessential names like Budweiser and Ben and Jerry's owned by European companies, though at least they still have a car industry.
There are still British success stories though, such as Tesco & Burberry.