Buy British - Do you, would you, should you?

[Eater Sundae]

Many years ago there were Buy British campaigns, with little Union Flag emblems.

 

Nowadays the only British produce I recall seeing marked as such are meat and veg.

 

Is there much other stuff identified as being British? Do you ever look out for British goods.

 

I have tried to buy British cars in the past (many years ago, when they were rubbish - Metro, Eurrghhh). More recently, although well built British cars are now available, my wife's and my cars are foreign made, simply because we had specific needs and there weren't any British cars that fitted the bill. However, needs have changed, so by the time we next buy a car, we can consider British built cars. It's unlikely to be the main reason why I would pick a particular car, but it certainly goes into the mix.

 

How keen are you to buy British? Do you, if you can? Should we buy more British goods where we can?

[chem1st]

I often buy British by accident at the charity and 2nd hand shops.

[sh3rb3t]

I doubt I would choose a British car over a German one… German cars are so much more reliable and better manufactured in my opinion (but each to their own )

 

As for food - I agree - I only ever see the little flag these days on meat and potatoes - a good fraction of the other fruit and veg is also imported! I’m not particularly concerned where the food comes from, rather that it is good quality.

[Ms Macbeth]

Food wise I try. I always look for English tomatoes and other veg, the more local the better, and Scottish strawberries and raspberries.

[Eater Sundae]

I doubt I would choose a British car over a German one… German cars are so much more reliable and better manufactured in my opinion (but each to their own )

 

As for food - I agree - I only ever see the little flag these days on meat and potatoes - a good fraction of the other fruit and veg is also imported! I’m not particularly concerned where the food comes from, rather that it is good quality.

 

German cars (in general) don't show up well in reliability results. "Japanese" cars generally do well, and some of these are manufactured in the UK, including the Honda Jazz, which does particularly well.

[El Cid]

Many years ago there were Buy British campaigns, with little Union Flag emblems.

 

Nowadays the only British produce I recall seeing marked as such are meat and veg.

 

 

I have a preference for local food, the more local the better. They do sell Yorkshire milk, English butter; I have a preference for any goods being local, but that is not the 1st reason to buy them.

Although I buy English butter, when its not the cheapest.

[sh3rb3t]

German cars (in general) don't show up well in reliability results. "Japanese" cars generally do well, and some of these are manufactured in the UK, including the Honda Jazz, which does particularly well.

 

Really?! I hadn’t really considered Japanese cars. My opinion comes from experience of owning both a Vauxhall (which I assume was British at some point earlier on?!) and a Volkswagen from almost new. Also, having had a Ford (again, this was British once I believe) which broke down consistently! The VW has given us very few problems, and has never broken down, whereas the Corsa was nothing but trouble…

 

Thanks for that though - We're going to need a small reliable second car in October, and I might just look into the Jazz

[tzijlstra]

Really?! I hadn’t really considered Japanese cars. My opinion comes from experience of owning both a Vauxhall (which I assume was British at some point earlier on?!) and a Volkswagen from almost new. Also, having had a Ford (again, this was British once I believe) which broke down consistently! The VW has given us very few problems, and has never broken down, whereas the Corsa was nothing but trouble…

 

Thanks for that though - We're going to need a small reliable second car in October, and I might just look into the Jazz

 

You are a bit off here Vauxhall and Ford are American although their European image is that they are German (this stems from the 80s when GM bought Opel and both became big players).

 

VWs are German and are generally known to be reliable but score nowhere near as well as the Japanese cars on reliability.

 

I own a Jazz, I don't really like driving it, although it isn't bad, but it sure as heck is reliable. Had it for nearly five years and it's only had the brakepads done once during that time and a screw tightened on the exhaust. Not bad for an 8 year old car huh!

 

Oh and on topic: I always prefer buying local food, simply because I am not a fan of eating food that has been harvested weeks ago and kept artificially fresh so it can be flown to the UK.

[sh3rb3t]

You are a bit off here Vauxhall and Ford are American although their European image is that they are German (this stems from the 80s when GM bought Opel and both became big players).

 

I knew they were American (GM) now, but I always thought they began life as British... I’ve learned something, and it’s only 8am!

 

In that case, is it even possible to buy a British car? Are Rover still British? They don’t strike me as reliable though, my sister has had two, both of which were hideous at breaking down.

 

I guess at two votes for the Jazz, I’ll be looking for one soon then

 

Foodwise - eggs and milk are usually available locally where we live, and the quality is indeed better, but they are significantly more expensive… Which strikes me as odd - they don’t have to travel as far, so why aren’t they cheaper??

Edited July 25, 2015 by sh3rb3t

[Annie Bynnol]

The world has become a bit more complicated since the Buy British campaign and even then British Steel argued that there was more UK steel in a Volvo than a Ford or Vauxhall.

 

But I have not bought the American owned and Dutch made HP Sauce who once spent millions on an ad campaign promoting the great British sauce, who then sacked their entire UK workforce.

 

Does Britain benefit most from a

British owned but made of foreign parts assembled by foreign labour in a foreign country,

 

or a

 

foreign owned, foreign parts assembled by British labour in the UK?