Graham writes to the Editor

Graham is concerned that our increased import of goods is harming our own manufacturing base

Dear Ray,

Some months ago, there was an article in the Pump concerning the huge influx of imports into this country and the consequent diminution of our manufacturing base. The figure 70 hit me most forcibly in the last month in this connection; Marks and Spencer now source goods from over 70 countries (do you remember when their proud boast was that 95% of all goods were British made?), and China now handles 70% of the world textiles market. So many goods are imported from so many countries now and many seem to me to be sp unnecessary. Why do we need to buy in cat food from Taiwan and Canada, for example, and whatever are the Edinburgh Wool Mills chain doing sourcing goods from Madagascar of all places?

However, it is down to us , the buying public, to try and halt the trend wherever possible by purchasing British made goods. If we don't, the time will come when everything will need to come in from abroad and we will be at the mercy of other countries' pricing policies.

Yours sincerely,

Graham Forster