If you want to be a friend to your neighbours, buy locally

If you want to be a friend to your neighbours, buy locally

The Government's attempt to keep the economy afloat through a cut in VAT is well-meaning, but ultimately pointless. Not only will it be the biggest contributor to the predicted £1 trillion of national debt, but it doesn't promise any real financial benefits.

Even if the extra 2.5 per cent off prices (in addition to the 20 to 50 per cent being slashed by retailers) does encourage you to go shopping, there is no guarantee that what you buy will help British workers keep their jobs. Cost-conscious shoppers are much more likely to be attracted by the low prices of clothes and electrical goods made in China and eastern Europe.

The late, great economist JK Galbraith, author of The Great Crash, 1929, said that the Depression was worsened by protectionism. His view was that if trade barriers were removed, goods would be manufactured in those countries where it was most efficient (read cheap) to do so.

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But at this stage in the game, I'm afraid I don't care about efficiency of markets or globalism. I care about my friends and relatives being made redundant. That the nice woman I see every week at my local supermarket keeps her job. That the workers at Honda in Swindon will still be employed after their two month Christmas layoff.

The biggest, most frightening problem we face now is unemployment. The Jobseeker's Allowance is a paltry £60.50 a week and, as the feature on page 16 explains, unless you have mortgage payment protection insurance or considerable savings, you have little chance of maintaining your monthly mortgage payments. Or paying your utility bills. Or buying clothes for your children, for that matter.

So, if you want to help your friends, neighbours and local community, remember the Sixties slogan: 'Buy British'. We hope to start you off by highlighting some of the manufacturers that still operate in Britain and the retailers that stock their goods. And if you have a preferred brand that doesn't sound British, it's still worth checking where its goods are made; look at Nissan in Sunderland, for example. Your purchasing choices will be worth far more than the government's VAT cut.

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