Yeah right...
“The UK is world leading in science and engineering research"
They repeat this like some kind of mantra, to brain wash us all into believing it, but they happily give hundreds of billions of our money to banks (and their greedy corrupt directors), but I don't see them putting that much investment into science and engineering education and projects to help boost the UK economy. Engineering in the UK has been in decline for decades. So has the UK electronics industry. Sure successful companies still exist here and there, but they are not treated the way leading countries treat their science and engineering people and companies.
I'm sure if questioned they would trot out the old line about the so called UK biotechnology industry to distract us from seeing so many areas where we are not “world leading” (tm). Also “our UK” biotechnology industry isn't even ours, as its part of multinational companies, so not just UK companies). Also most of our big companies in many industries are owned by groups outside of the UK.
So the UK is world leading in science and engineering, ok then:
Where is our broadband speed compared with the rest of the world?
Where is our Samsung, Intel or Honda?
Where is our car industry compared to the other countries?
Where is our architecture compared with countries like Dubai or Shanghai etc..?
How about our investment in science and engineering compared with other leading countries?
So I hear the political Rhetoric and their all too common lies and manipulation, but I don't see the evidence?
Yet I work in science and engineering, so I would love to say its the best in the world and if I look hard enough I'm sure I can find a small pocket here and there where we do good, but that is still overall small fry compared to the science and engineering of many other countries e.g. Korea, Japan, China, America ... in fact many European countries show more interest and respect for science and engineering than the UK. For us to be “world leading” (tm) we need to be leading.
Its so ironic as huge investment in science and engineering has already proved what a vast different it can make to the UK, but that was back in the Industrial Revolution when we were "world leading in science and engineering (tm)" ... we need to stop living on past glories and focus on competing in the 21st century. First step sort out UK broadband so other new companies can grow from that rather than playing catch up to many other countries.
But then we are “world leading”(tm). With statements like that, it looks like the UK is world leading in Political Rhetoric and lies. The other countries must be laughing at us. :(