Where have you gone Fred Kite

Somehow, incompetence must have become valid grounds for dismissal, rather than victimization, in the UK;

New business is coming from unexpected places to help power the whirring, high-tech lathes on the factory floor of Future Advanced Manufacture, one of the companies spearheading Britain's manufacturing revival.

"Even the Germans are starting to deal with us, which is unheard of," said Future AM's managing director Craig Peterson.

Manufacturing accounts for only a tenth of Britain's economy, compared with more than a fifth in Germany which is Europe's leader in the sector. But British factories are in the midst of a resurgence.

Ah, The Way We Were, pre-Margaret Thatcher. Now it's all business;

The Confederation of British Industry, cites political risk as the main threat to the recovery, ahead of the Scottish independence referendum in September and next year's 2015 election.

Consistency in government and monetary policy is key, said EPM Technology's Mulholland.

"We don't need fandango new ideas - we need to have the ear of government," he said.

The UK government used to be all too willing to lend an ear to Labour represented by characters like Peter Sellers, as depicted in the above clip from I'm All Right, Jack. Let's hope, for Britain's sake it doesn't revert to form.