We must rebalance the economy by widening the manufacturing and production base,making it competitive. Being in or out of the EU has tiny relevance
• Austin Mitchell is a former Labour MP for Grimsby and public accounts commissionerAs Brexiteers shout “forward” and remainers chant “ back”, the battle over the EU dominates British politics. Yet it obscures a more basic British problem. Our clapped-out economy, and brilliant at consumption,destitute at production, is becoming unviable. A “nation of shopkeepers” has become a nation of shoppers, or dependent on debt.
Deindustrialisation and misguided economic policies believe reduced the former workshop of the world to a level where Britain can neither pay its way,nor afford the defence and public services an advanced society needs. Everything in which we once were leaders – ships, railways, and TV,great bridges, nuclear plants, or bicycles,textiles, clothing, or even Kit Kats – we now import.
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Source: guardian.co.uk