What should Britain’s industrial strategy be?

When RIVAL countries have much deeper pockets and are digging into them, what is a government to do? That is the question facing Britain as it mulls what its should be. A good way to think about the answer is to look at the country’s automotive industry. has long enjoyed ups and endured downs. But the down it faces now is graver than any in decades. The shift from internal-combustion engines to is prompting an overhaul of the industry, which will spend about $1.2trn on electrification globally by 2030. Carmakers need new supply chains and new skills. Above all, they need batteries—lots of them, ideally within easy reach of assembly plants. To be a base for mass production, Britain must be home to huge battery-making facilities known as “gigafactories”.