Britain For Sale.

[John Pruden]

did it make economic sense to shut the mines put thousands on the dole decimate communities just to show the unions who's boss? this country is in the sh.t right now and we are paying 30 OD million pounds a day for the privilege??? we may as well be pi..ing into the wind it would make more sense?jp

[Robert T. Bush]

An American Sugar refiner protected and subsidized by their government bought Tate & Lyle that it self had bought CSR

from the Aussies.

[Neville Roberts]

we are all in a global economy now ,the old days of loyalty to one,s company is over . our fathers got a job and retired from it , staying with them for all thier working life ,and a gold watch after 50 years . where will the capitalists go when China starts to charge more for the goods that they produce . I heard that they are already going to the phillipines for even cheaper labor . maybe they can find and export labor too mars if they find some little aliens to work for less . now we know how the old folks used too mention the good old days . we are the old folks now ,and we can look back on our good old days.

[Gulliver]

did it make economic sense to shut the mines put thousands on the dole decimate communities just to show the unions who's boss? this country is in the sh.t right now and we are paying 30 OD million pounds a day for the privilege??? we may as well be pi..ing into the wind it would make more sense?jp

Thatcher's government did have the right idea for Britain. Industries in other EU countries like Germany have survived because they embraced, and adapted ,however reluctantly , to new working practices ,something our militant British trades unions would not allow their members to do ,so they took their members down the pan with them too(as always).

Industries which did not embrace new working practices,which were necessary to save costs,especially those like coal mining which are very labour intensive,and were in many cases were being 'worked out' and at or near the end of their useful life were doomed if they wouldn't re-adapt. Redundancies could have been made on a voluntary or natural wastage basis and even though streamlining of sites could have occurred , whole communities were reluctant to move and couldn't understand the concept that if there's no coal left in their own particular pit seams,then it's going to mean closures and redundancies anyway.You can't just magic into existence inexhaustible supplies of coal.Time moves on and is no respecter of a 200 year old community......we British are renowned for our love of tradition and our reluctance to change..Proving time and time again it will be our downfall
Even similar industries in other countries did not escape ,but some survived,and are thriving now because they listened to their governments instead of toxic militant trade unions
like we have ,or had back then.


Blame the British trade unions for all that. And the British worker for not understanding. Come to think of it,isn't that what happened in a way to our beloved Merchant Navy as well...

Gulliver

[John Pruden]

Gulliver with the greatest respect how many times have we been promised a referendum over the EU in or out no red tape just a simple in or out when this all first started we were told the common market as it was then our industries would be shared among the members{no} they were scattered to the lowest wage paying countries? steel to India shipbuilding to Korea oh and how many Indian cold calls do you get non of the said countries are in the EU all the working man wants is a job nothing more a job to live and feed his family we are lucky our working days are over but looking for work thees days is a nightmare because we have opened the door too wide and the flood is here? yes we had unions and in a lot of cases we needed them remember the days if you don't like it get out the door???jp

[Gulliver]

John ,with the greatest respect ,I'm talking about what happened back then(30-40 years ago.)
What's happened since then,and continuing now is a consequence of all that which I mentioned-i.e. militant trade unions and the British mentality of not even considering adaptation to change in working practices and economic changes,and a blinkered inability(because it had been so for two centuries) to see the broader picture...

Gulliver

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates Hi Captain Bill, I understand a small part about business , so re flagged ships were the only way the ship owners could complete? and cheaper labour did not make they profits any higher ? or not paying any Britsh taxes? All thats matter to any shipping business today is how much extra profit they can make? All shipping company world -wide and ferrys and passengers ships companys are very cut throat, its all about the bottom line. not who sails on them or tradition or service. If they could the shipping companys they would have Iron mike as the Captain and monkeys as crew.

[John Pruden]

do any of the EU members have the same{or better} benefit system than us??? is that why we have an influx of every race on the planet here. should we tighten up our laws not EU laws to protect our tax payers i would certainly be p....d off if i knew my tax was paying for someone who wants to cause harm to us and that's what is happening today in our country.jp

[John Cassels]

No John , benefits are not better in the UK - in many cases , a lot worse.

What the difference is , is the system of applying those benefits. In the UK , it seems to be leaking
like a sieve.
As said before , UK needs to get it's own act together before blaming anyone else.

[Kenneth Kenny]

Worked on Blue Funnel Ships,discharging them at the Gladstone Dock Liverpool, in the 1960s,70s,they would bring in carton's of clothing for all the big stores like Burtins,Littlewood,many more,thousands of tons in each ship,in and out like Taxi's,then Marks and Spencers,did the same later on.I was in America and Canada last year and all there big stores have the clothes made in China and other countrys,even the Cunard cruise ships and P.O.you think you are buying America gear and it's all made in China,nothing against them country's,that's the way life his.Ken.