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 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.