Are we actually bad at buying British?

Britain's public sector spends close to £400 billion a year (with £90bn of government contracts). So are we really failing to buy British? In this episode I look at the evidence, which suggests that the majority of direct public sector procurement spending goes to suppliers classified as British. That figure comes with real limitations, but it points at a deeper problem. Buying from a British company is not necessarily the same thing as building British industrial capability. Using Alstom's train factory in Derby, Britain's offshore wind supply chain and Germany's deeper manufacturing ecosystem, I look at where industrial value actually sits, and why the nationality of a company's owner may matter less than the location of its factories, skills, engineering and suppliers. The episode considers: Why procurement alone cannot substitute for industrial strategy How public demand can support investment and supply chain development Why rebuilding domestic capability may initially cost more The distinction between industrial policy and permanent protectionism How Britain can build more productive relationships with international partners The central question is not simply whether public contracts go to British suppliers. It is whether Britain is building lasting, internationally competitive capability with the money it spends. This podcast is independently produced. I am not speaking on behalf of the UK Government, Great British Energy or Baringa. If you have questions, comments or suggestions - please send us a mail