It was sort of the point I was trying to make.just to address an earlier point you made, about the ability of local manufacturers to adapt their production lines to a different product at short notice. there was a story a month or so back of many many UK manufacturers who did exactly that, in order to meet the governments challenge to produce the PPE locally....and now they are not being awarded any contracts. so these guys are left with empty factories.
The existing supply chain was flat out so
If I go to Freds Frocks a local clothes makers for M&S the question arise are;
Can you make a gown from this material? - Yes
Have you got the material? - No
Can you get the material? - Pass
Can you get a credit line from the material manufacturer? - Doubt it
Can you finance it? - Maybe
Do you have the machines to sew zips instead of buttons? - No
Can you get 3 squillion zips? - No
Do you have the capacity to do this extra work? - Yes we'll force the staff to do overtime
You can't do that it's illegal! - Yeah right
You'll have to stop work for M&S and do our work - Do you think M&S will wait 6 months for their order?
They'll go somewhere else and then we're fooked - But Boris will give you a big kiss
Nothing is ever straight forward