Should We Be Worried about the Increasing Foreign Ownership of UK Industries?

Should we be more concerned about the foreign ownership of UK Brands? Is Britain making the\udmost of its industrial brands? Much has been made of these questions and the recent contracting\udout of nuclear energy to China. This is only one of several examples of recent contracting out of activity.\udIndeed most rail franchises are now foreign owned and most electricity providers are also\udfrom mainland Europe. The process of selling off much industry has been taking place in the UK\udfor many years and it has now gone much further than merely selling off the family silver. Recently\udin the House of Commons mention was made of the time that has now arrived to sell the fixtures\udand fittings. This paper sets out to explain the reasons why the UK has been willing to sell off many\udhistoric firms and assesses the consequences of this for future generations. The paper draws on\udtheories of international marketing, corporate strategy and production to help explain the relevant\udthinking behind current policies. It also draws on case examples, relevant theory and data, in\udorder to provide further evidence for future policy making, arguing that it still vitally important\udfor the UK to undertake the strategic stewardship of its remaining brands