but how have we as a country got to the state where we cannot do this ourselves?

Partially because Maggie preferred us to buy stuff off them rather than make it ourselves so they have now got all our money.

That said, if you are into nuclear, there is an argument for the French strategy of buying a job lot from the same place rather than wasting time and money trying to do better. That way when one breaks you can check out the others for the same fault.

That, so I am told, is why there are not many different sorts (as opposed to makes) of wind turbine...