And thanks to its lowLabourcosts, ithasbecomethe world's third-largest trading power - whichiswhywhenyouturn oversomanymanufactured goods, the words' MADE in CHINA 'stare up at you.
But the 164-strong rump of the parliamentary Tory party, which forms the electorate, is so traumatised by Labour's landslide and by past divisions over Europe that it may well turn away from the obvious choice.
They are now entrenched in the labour market, so to fill new jobs employers must turn to the sort of men who were traditionally passed over for work many of whom are black or brown-skinned.
Labour's fear is that many of the women who came over to Labour in 1997 and voted for the party again in 2001 will either not vote or turn to the Liberal Democrats.