I’ve followed the collapse of quite a few British industrial giants over the years, including the long slow painful death of Rover, and the decline of steel making.
Then there are the brilliant British research breakthroughs that somehow end up being huge successes for the Germans or Taiwan, frankly anywhere but the UK.
And then there are the “must have” technologies of the future, that PMs turn up to launch and which the government boasts about supporting, like BritishVolt.
After trying to build a multi billion pound factory to produce the batteries without which the British car industry is doomed, its future, as we say in journalism “looks uncertain”.
Today it will probably secure some more funding either from its shareholders or an obscure Indonesian businessman.
While gigafactories are sprouting up across the EU with huge levels of investment, massive government backing, a Europe wide industrial policy and serious levels of planning and commitment, the UK is hoping a previously unknown Indonesian will ride to the rescue.
Which pretty much says it all.
Once again the world is learning that there are few things more expensive than becoming a metaphor for British industrial policy.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
By Jonty Bloom Media
The UK apparently surrendered fiscal sovereignty to an unelected, unidentifiable blob that is renowned for panicky herd think - The Markets - some time between the Queen dying and the mini budget.
The economy is already doomed because the precedent is set; anyone who tries to change the structure of economic activity can only do so with the overt approval of shareholders, the majority of whom reside and conduct their business outside the UK.