{
  "id": 10851849,
  "title": "The state wants to ‘buy British’. But the British don’t want to work with the state",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/the-state-wants-to-buy-british-but-the-british-dont-want-to-work-with",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-30T04:03:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/the-state-wants-to-buy-british-but-the-british-dont-want-to-work-with-the-state/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The government's initiative to 'buy British' can be a futile endeavor if British companies are unwilling to sell to them, according to Joe Hill. In January 1968, a group of typists in Surbiton voluntarily worked extra hours, unpaid, to support the economy. Soon after, \"I'm Backing Britain\" became a nationwide campaign, endorsed by the Prime Minister and featuring a theme song by Bruce Forsyth. However, the campaign fizzled out due to Robert Maxwell's attempt to rebrand it as \"Buy British,\" which was undermined by the revelation that the campaign T-shirts were manufactured in Portugal.\n\nEvery political party now advocates for increased public procurement spending on British companies, including figures like Andy Burnham, Chancellor John Healey, and Reform UK's Robert Jenrick. Yet, British businesses are not bidding for government contracts. The issue lies in the fact that many British companies lack the desire to compete for public contracts. A study revealed that in approximately 20 percent of tenders, only one supplier even submitted a bid. This reluctance can be attributed to the stringent and unwelcoming nature of public procurement processes.\n\nFor new companies seeking to work with the government, particularly those with innovative products or services, the stringent rules make it nearly impossible to sell their offerings. The public sector often rejects anything not previously vetted through a lengthy tender process with detailed specifications. This approach is akin to Henry Ford's observation that people wouldn't have asked for faster horses if they didn't know they needed cars. To encourage 'selling British,' the government should make it easier to engage with the state. However, the costs of doing business in the government sector are prohibitively high due to the imposition of onerous 'social value' measures, including carbon emissions reduction, office relocation, and apprenticeship creation. Consequently, it is not surprising that few British companies are lining up to bid for government contracts, despite the rhetoric surrounding 'buying British.' The government should reconsider and create a more conducive environment for British companies to participate.",
  "summary": "The government's drive to 'buy British' is futile if British companies don't want to sell to them, writes Joe Hill.",
  "key_points": [
    "Government's 'buy British' initiative may fail if British companies unwilling to sell.",
    "Campaign 'I'm Backing Britain' fizzled due to rebranding and poor manufacturing.",
    "Stricter public procurement processes deter British businesses from bidding for contracts."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The government's \"buy British\" initiative is unlikely to succeed unless it simplifies the public procurement process, which currently deters many British companies due to its stringent and costly requirements.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}