David Hill: Our politicians show no sign of learning vital lessons

Some 13 years ago, Tony Blair was told by over 40 eminent scientists and technologists from throughout the world that the only way that the UK could get out of its long-term economic problems was to develop new advanced technological products that no other country could manufacture. Now we go down the same old tried-and-tested road to nowhere again, instead of creating the technological infrastructure that Britain is crying out for.

For politicians get it wrong time and time again, as the decline of our economy can clearly testify too over the last quarter of a century.

Britain is sitting on an absolute goldmine of the most creative people in the world, according to Japanese and German studies, which say that up to 53 per cent of the technological development of the modern world was due to the minds of our people (not universities mind, but our people's thinking).

Consequently, what is wrong with the system is that the need is for our people who hold most of this unique thinking and not our universities et al. Therefore, not until David Cameron reads what the history of science and technology tells us and understands the true picture, shall we stop our decline. For, on our present thinking, together with the destructive thinking of the last Labour government, in 25 years' time our living standards will be one of the lowest in the western world and some developing nations will have surpassed us.

The reason: we only see trade through being subservient to economies such as China now, when we should in reality be creating new world markets for our people.

This is where politicians get it so very wrong, as they simply do not understand the basic dynamics of how to build new industrial and technological bases.

• Dr David Hill is executive director of the World Innovation Foundation. Charity.