Rose-coloured glasses and the Commonwealth.

On 18/01/2012, at 21:05 , Phillip Atcliffe wrote:

> Unfortunately, this assumes that the "traditional" sources of supply
in the Commonwealth will still be there and are interested in doing
business with the Poms. Having been abandoned by the UK when it became
obsessed with Europe back in the 1970s

In Australia, resentment of British abandonment goes a lot further back
than the 1970's, and to before British membership of the "Europe" was a
gleam in Ted Heath's eye. For example, changes to the immigration rules
applied to Australians back in the early 1960s (I think it was 1962, but
Wikipedia is down for the day) caused furious resentment, and still do
in Aussies of a certain age.

I am astounded to read how nostalgic, paternalist, and neo-colonialist
ideas apparently linger after all this time. Our economy is rolling
along quite nicely on the back of roaring growth in markets much closer,
larger, and faster-growing than the UK. As for idea that we're waiting
like supplicants on bended knee for the wonderful products of the UK's
manufacturing industry, some of us are old enough to remember what
British cars were like, and their manufacturers' crappy attitudes
towards customer service, spare-parts supply, and delivering products
fit for Australian conditions:

"What, you want headlights that work in the rain?! You want your Land
Rover's axles to be stronger than a stale bread-stick!? You want spare
parts to be available without waiting six months?! How crass! It's good
enough for us, so it should be more than good enough for you! If you
don't think so, go and buy one of those horrid Toyotas!" Guess what
mate? We did. And our onetime enemies treated us better than our
supposed friends. Commonwealth solidarity much? I'm sure we're happy to
sell stuff to the Poms, but they shouldn't expect any favours.