@ Cracklingjet (post 16)
Have a read of this report for an idea of what the UK aerospace sector is worth:
http://researchbriefings.files.parli...28/SN00928.pdf
As someone working in the UK aerospace sector, I can assure you we are extremely busy - so busy we've run out of desks to accommodate the staff needed to work the projects we have.
"Drinking from a hosepipe" is a phrase that has been coined on site.
Sure we don't make whole aircraft anymore, but then who does? The US, China? Not quite, all rely on systems bought in from overseas. Boeing, Airbus and Comac are all integrators of bought in parts, none of them build every last item for an aircraft. It's globalisation, and it seems to be working pretty well for the UK.
Sure we outsource work to other countries - we have to if we're to stay competitive. UK workers (including me) want too much money!