Warning coming true

May 9 2008 by Our Correspondent, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

GORDON Brown talks of the USA and Europe coming closer together, but for all the wrong reasons. Fifteen years ago my institution warned Britain that if it did not change its economic thinking to one of fostering innovation the British people would see a declining standard of living over the following 50 years.

This decline would be due to much of the economic power changing from the West to the East and where China should be watched with trepidation as a threat to the long-term stability of the United Kingdom.

China has now mapped out its long-term strategy of creating, in its own words, the world’s first truly innovation nation. Indeed, increasingly with the ever-growing resources at its command (financial and industrial), China is well placed to achieve its target.

Unfortunately though for the USA and Europe this will ultimately mean that we will witness great hardship. For once China and the developing East have attained economic domination, it will be extremely hard for us in the West to regain any of the high ground that we held just a mere 20 years ago.

Indeed, the rags to riches cycle will hit Britain hard, very hard indeed, in no more than most probably 15 years from now. Therefore, the people of United Kingdom have to make our politicians see that they have to stop our economic decline that will affect all society and rethink their economic thinking to one where innovation is the prime driver of economic prosperity.

Dr David Hill

World Innovation Foundation Charity, Huddersfield