Fuel for thought!

[vic mcclymont]

In the early eighties over 51% of the workforce in the UK worked in Nationalized industries.
Want a phoned line wait six months or more, then you could only have shared line.

British Steel market share dropped from 29% of the market to 3% and losin £1b a year.
Want to send a parcel, would be moved by a nationalized company.
British Shipbuilders losing moneys handed over fist, same for British Coal.
Bus companies run to suit workers not passengers.
Vic

[James Curry]

#11 Thing is we have nothing left to sell!! The power companies are owned in some cases by foreign governments, EDF. Heathrow airport is 100% owned by foreign companies from Spain,Canada, USA,Qatar,China and France.
What, was British Steel is now Chinese owned (Jingye Group). One of the largest bus companies in the UK (Arriva) is owned by Deutsche Bahn. Maybe nationalised industries in the UK, back in the 80's may have been lacking!!!! But they were British owned.

Anyway,as Vernon says he does not like politics so I have hopefully made my point and will let it go at that.

[j.sabourn]

BISCO ( British Iron and Steel Corporation ) was one of those Nationalized Industries , and their ships were about the best paying at the time for seafarers purely for the lack of inhibitions of overtime. The seamen fared much better there financially than on other rat assed British companies. Where the owners ran to very tight budgets , and like most ships the only thing they had control on was crews wages and feeding so they got hit continuously by the accountants . They did get a bad name via the Press whether true or not remains to be seen as profit margins dropped considerably according to what they had to say. Myself I don’t like being controlled by unseen faces so would rather arrange my own wage scales fairly face to face which I did when employed on foreign vessels. My tenure out here in the work force although run by the Maritime unions their wages were much better than others in a free market and I had no complaints . The profit or loss to already millionaires I am not too concerned about.. JS

[vic mcclymont]

~12, when plans were drawn up to nationalise industries in the UK, the Government decided that it would hold a golden share, that share was to prevent unwanted takeovers and essentially control the industries.
The EU in its infinite wisdom declared that the Golden Share was illegal under EU rules and ordered the UK to get rid of its golden share.
So all the safeguards built into the schemes were removed by the EU at a stroke of a pen.

[Tony Taylor]

Thatchers Britain: Privatisation the big sell-off. The Sell off of the crown jewels of Nationalised Britain Gas, oil, telecommunications, various industries, transportation, water industries. British Petroleum The Sell off of the crown jewels of Nationalised Britain Gas, oil, telecommunications, various industries, transportation, water industries.
Many industries and utilities that had been nationalised in the Attlee government of 1945-51 were made into private companies: in industries, steel, railways, airways, airports and aerospace; and, of the utilities, gas, electricity, telecoms and water. The process has continued to the present day, with the 2013 privatisation of the Royal Mail.

Putin has just grabbed Shell stake in Sakhalin LNG, but I dont think he is calling it nationalisation just yet, probably end up being taken by some of his buddies.

[Tony Taylor]

#11 Thing is we have nothing left to sell!! The power companies are owned in some cases by foreign governments, EDF. Heathrow airport is 100% owned by foreign companies from Spain,Canada, USA,Qatar,China and France.
What, was British Steel is now Chinese owned (Jingye Group). One of the largest bus companies in the UK (Arriva) is owned by Deutsche Bahn. Maybe nationalised industries in the UK, back in the 80's may have been lacking!!!! But they were British owned.

Anyway,as Vernon says he does not like politics so I have hopefully made my point and will let it go at that.

Arriva had its roots in Sunderland. Tom Cowie started selling war surplus motor bikes after being demobbed, he opened another shop in Newcastle then gradually diversified into new car dealerships. After going public and his group of companies being taken over several times, were renamed Arriva. He was worked out of the company but retained a small shareholding. Tom Cowie was knighted for services to charity (whether that was for his time as chairman of Sunderland FC remains a subject for discussion).

[Hazel Stringer]

No worries Rodney,

I have been like this for 4 years now and when I am tired some of my typos can be hilarious or very embarrassing! I have learned to laugh at it!

Hazel

[James Curry]

The directive from the EU was not just aimed at the UK it was also inclusive of all EU member states.