Showing posts with label Sick Man of Europe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sick Man of Europe. Show all posts

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Michael Lambert: Back to Being the 'Sick Man of Europe"

Dec 17, 2022 | I have been in business for more than fifty years since before the UK was a member of the EU. For many years I dealt with small companies in Italy before having to switch to China where quality, reliability and prices were all unbeatable. I noticed how the Chinese were working so hard to produce cheap consumer goods, whereas we in the West seemed to take it easy and enjoy the benefits.

Mrs Thatcher's decision to move to a service-based economy whilst manufacturing declined left us vulnerable. The 2008 economic crisis was the time that we should have decided to concentrate on IT and other high-tech sectors, but instead the government chose austerity. Since then we have struggled and many suffered whilst the rich have become richer. Faced with declining living standards a majority were persuaded that the EU was the reason for our decline and that if we left things would improve.

Now that we have finally left the EU, it is clear to all but the most ardent and disillusioned believers in Brexit that it was a terrible mistake. Our economy is now in a terrible state and deteriorating, and people are angry. The government's response under a very weak and clueless prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is to try to focus the country's anger on desperate asylum seekers who risk their lives to cross the Channel



You can buy Michael Lambert’s book here.

Another great synopsis. I can't disagree with anything you said. It was all the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Thank you! I was going to make Brits' sense of superiority the focus of my comment today, but then you said exactly what I had been thinking. I, too, really believe that one of our biggest problems is the reluctance of Brits to embrace the truth about this country's size and influence. So many people are deluded: they think that Britannia still rules the waves! They just can't get it into their heads that we are merely a medium-sized country, just like other European nations. For years, we were able to box above our weight. But, now, that cannot go on. The sooner we Brits come to terms with reality, the sooner we will heal. One way or another, our destiny lies in Europe. After all, we are Europeans. But believe this or not, I actually know some people who deny even that obvious fact! Again, thank you for your hard work and clearly-expressed message today. – © Mark Alexander