Should the UK Government be buying British? – Make it British

MP demands to know why Parliament aren’t serving on plates made in Stoke-on-Trent When Stoke-on-Trent North MP Ruth Smeeth noticed plates in the Houses of Parliament that didn’t have the renowned Stoke-on-Trent

Source: Should the UK Government be buying British? – Make it British

The British Government and its Civil Service should buy British made and their procurement policy should favour buying British made. For example Parliament, the Foreign Office and the Home Office should have British made cutlery and tableware and buy British made stationery and British made cars. Where British made goods are not available then they should buy goods produced in the Commonwealth or EU. The NHS should set the example by buying British. The British armed forces should buy British made. British law enforcement organisations should buy British. When buying flags and uniforms and equipment for our defence forces and police more emphasis should be put on buying British first. An increase in public sector purchasing from British manufacturers and preference for British manufacturers when placing major and small contracts and, at a lower level, all purchasing, would make a big difference to UK makers, retaining skills, industry and jobs to build a stronger country and community. It’s a complex argument and British companies gain from being able to compete across the EU but for our Government buying British should come naturally.

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/mp-wants-parliament-buy-british-1197188

Are the Office Supplies and Stationery in your Workplace, School, Club, and Home made in the UK? Plus British made fridge magnets

British made stationery.

Manufacturing in the UK allows companies to control supply, guarantee quality, offer flexibility and to be ethical and environmentally sound.

You and your company or organisation or club or school or university can support British companies and British jobs and be environmentally friendly (by reducing your carbon footprint through reducing the miles goods are transported) by buying British at home, at work and for school.

A good starting point is to buy only British made stationery (pens, pencils, staplers, paper clips, scissors, paper, files, etc.).  Don’t order stationery unless you know where it is made.  Refuse to buy cheap foreign made stationery.  Buy British stationery for your workplace and home and it will last longer and so save you or your company money long term.  Most stationery these days is foreign made but you can insists on buying British made stationery.  Just say 10 years ago most stationery was made in the UK, but sadly this is no longer the case.Most stationery these days is foreign made but you can insists on buying British made stationery.  Just say 10 years ago most stationery was made in the UK, but sadly this is no longer the case. We all know those cheap Chinese made staplers don’t last 5 minutes, whereas the old made in England stapler that has been floating around your office since who knows when is still going strong!  My old made in England Rexel stapler is superb quality; modern Chinese made Rexel staplers are very poor quality and do not last very long at all before they are broken.

An old made in Britain Rexel stapler. Still going strong after many many years. Photograpgh by author.

An old made in Britain Rexel stapler. Still going strong after many many years. Photograpgh by author. Base view 1.

An old made in Britain Rexel stapler. Still going strong after many many years. Photograpgh by author. Base view 2.

A vintage box of made in UK Rexel No.56 staples. Sadly Rexel / Acco staples are now foriegn made. Photograph by author.

Government Procurement – Should the British government buy British?

Thought for the day:

The British Government and its Civil Service should buy British made and their procurement policy should favour buying British made.  For example the Foreign Office and the Home Office should have British made cutlery and tableware and buy British made stationery and British made cars.  Where British made goods are not available then they should buy goods produced in the Commonwealth.