As the roll call of fallen names in British industry grows longer by the day, few can match the historical resonance of Viyella. One of the biggest names in what was once Britain's most important industry, Viyella is no longer the textile giant it was when it was part of the bigger Coats Viyella, but it's a reminder how many of our industrial names have either gone bust, are struggling or have been swallowed up by foreign rivals.
A glance through 1935's original FT30 index of big British companies shows how much has changed even quite recently. Viyella follows yesterday's final collapse of Woolworth FW (another original FT30 constituent), which comes after the sale of Imperial Chemical Industries to the Dutch, which comes amid renewed worries about the health of Electrical & Musical Industries (EMI), United Steel (Corus) and what's left of Bass. Let's not even think about the sad demise of Austin Motor (Rover), General Electric (GEC) and Turner & Newall.
No one wants to turn the clock back to the 1930s but amid all the talk in Whitehall about resurrecting a British industrial policy, it is worth remembering how little there is left. Ironically, Imperial Tobacco is one of the few original FT30 constituents left in rude health.
