His pro-manufacturing, pro-R&D, pro-skills and low-carbon investment began to look like a \”white heat of technology\” winning theme. One or two slight apologies – \”less financial engineering, more real engineering\” – were not quite the banker-bashing the public yearns for, but it\’s a start. After all these painful years of Gordon Brown\’s insistence that the \”knowledge economy\” was all that could be hoped for in the \”globalised\” world, here was a boastful reminder that Britain is still the world\’s sixth biggest manufacturer. Industrial strategy was coming home. Here was Labour economic talk of growth, investment, high- speed trains and optimism.
It\’s great politics, as you say. The thing is though, how did that \”white heat of technology\” play out last time?
Ah, yes, Wislon and Heath, wasn\’t it. An utter and entire disaster: we even had someone actually drunk with alcohol, not power, trying to direct British industry. Never really understood why anyone thought that was going to work. Nor why having British industry run by people who know absolutely sweet fuck all about it is such a good idea.
I have just the sneaking suspicion that it\’s not going to work out all that well now either.
“how did that “white heat of technology” play out last time?”
About as well as the bit he said just before that: Britain being no place for restricted practices for outdated measures.
They’ll be starting the “I’m backing Britain” campaign next. That was truly a truly awful campaign and probably started the fashion for wearing the Union flag as a fashion accessory.