Mrs Thatcher to blame for the mess we are in.

[denlin]

All our industries HAVE gone down the pan anyway and this is despite the fact that the unions HAVEN'T been running the country.

 

It's due to the Tory governments from Thatchers and onwards and including the New Labour Tory government who have persisted with the selling off of everything we owned.

 

Well done, my sentiments exactly:clap:

[Frumius]

Excuse my ignorance. I hadn't realised that you had you head quite that far up your own backside.

No wonder you advocate direct action, as there really is no prospect of you ever seeing a government of your liking unless you move to North Korea or Cuba.

Yes we could all have carried on as we were in the 1970s and watched all our industries go down the pan and let the unions run the country. Just not sure how we would have paid for it though. There again neither did Zimbabwe.

 

Well done, my sentiments exactly:clap:

 

Mine too. But wot should be done to rectify the situation?

[Guest]

I blame 'New Labour' for the mess we are in. I think over the next 10 years or so we will be in for some nasty suprises as a consequence of New Labour's policies.

 

I also believe that if we have a severe winter in 2011/2012 (as soon as that) our policy to pump millions into green energy sources will lead to major problems.

 

We haven't seen nothing yet!!!

 

Another severe winter in 12 months time, and I believe we will see gas rationing for everyone. While we have been pumping millions into a very questionable global warming theory, we have not been spending securing our own energy resources - that will be the 1st nasty suprise.

 

Prey to god that global warming does exsist, otherwise many people will be freezing to death during winter

 

I won't disagree with your thoughts on New Labour but, some of the millions pumped into the "questionable global warming theory" are an attempt to address green energy sources which would try to provide our own energy and, at the same time, not add to the emissions problem which exacerbates global warming.

 

Don't pray to god that global warming exists because you have obviously misunderstood the meaning of this due to the name - global warming will make Britain COLDER not warmer so the "freezing to death" will happen if they are right and global warming really is taking place.

 

Judging by last winter and the start of this one, it looks as though it really could be happening so the quicker we produce energy from the wind & the sea, the better off we will be.

[denlin]

I won't disagree with your thoughts on New Labour but, some of the millions pumped into the "questionable global warming theory" are an attempt to address green energy sources which would try to provide our own energy and, at the same time, not add to the emissions problem which exacerbates global warming.

 

Don't pray to god that global warming exists because you have obviously misunderstood the meaning of this due to the name - global warming will make Britain COLDER not warmer so the "freezing to death" will happen if they are right and global warming really is taking place.

 

Judging by last winter and the start of this one, it looks as though it really could be happening so the quicker we produce energy from the wind & the sea, the better off we will be.

 

These winters are nothing compared to the ones of my childhood, particularly the one in 1963 so it doesn't necessarily follow that global warming is going to make us freeze to death but i'm not saying we don't need a more sustainable energy because we do

[Guest]

Mine too. But wot should be done to rectify the situation?

 

We need to encourage a return to manufacturing industries but how best to do this, I don't know.

Competition will be fierce but we should aim at the situatione which applied in my younger days when people were willing to pay more for those magic words "Made in England", knowing that our products were mostly the best in the world.

 

The present shower could have made a start by investing in Forgemasters.

[Frumius]

We need to encourage a return to manufacturing industries but how best to do this, I don't know.

Competition will be fierce but we should aim at the situatione which applied in my younger days when people were willing to pay more for those magic words "Made in England", knowing that our products were mostly the best in the world.

 

The present shower could have made a start by investing in Forgemasters.

 

I think you are probably right. The present shower couldn't find £80m to lend to Forgemasters but could lend £8bn to Ireland.

[Fartown]

All our industries HAVE gone down the pan anyway and this is despite the fact that the unions HAVEN'T been running the country.

 

It's due to the Tory governments from Thatchers and onwards and including the New Labour Tory government who have persisted with the selling off of everything we owned.

 

Really? Would you care to provide a citation to support that argument?

 

Here are the first 3 hits from Google on the topic 'UK Manufacturing':

 

Manufacturing UK - Directory of UK Manufacturing Companies

Detailed business information on over 4595 Manufacturing Companies located in the UK...

 

The future of UK Manufacturing: Reports of its death are greatly exaggerated

Loren Gerlach talks to Will Jackson-Moore and Matthew Alabaster about the future of UK manufacturing.

 

BBC News - UK manufacturing 'powering ahead'

 

5 Dec 2010 ... The UK manufacturing sector is in rude health, thanks in large part to strong demand from overseas customers, an industry survey suggests.

 

The authors of those articles don't seem to agree with you. There were over 7 million hits. I didn't bother to read them all.

 

UK manufacturing does have problems but it's far from dead.

 

If Labour get back in power anytime soon they'll probably do something about that, however.

[Fartown]

I think you are probably right. The present shower couldn't find £80m to lend to Forgemasters but could lend £8bn to Ireland.

 

Did Forgemasters agree to pay 6% interest on the loan? - Like the Irish are going to have to do.

 

I hope the government do lend the money to Forgemasters and I hope it's a commercial loan with effective provision to protect against dafault.

 

If Forgemasters was such a worthy recipient, why did they not get a loan elsewhere? (Serious question.)

[Frumius]

Did Forgemasters agree to pay 6% interest on the loan? - Like the Irish are going to have to do.

 

I hope the government do lend the money to Forgemasters and I hope it's a commercial loan with effective provision to protect against dafault.

 

If Forgemasters was such a worthy recipient, why did they not get a loan elsewhere? (Serious question.)

 

I don't know if Forgemasters actually sought a loan from elsewhere having been promised one by the UK govt. (I believe they were due to pay interest on that loan). But the UK govt would have an interest in providing a loan to Forgemasters beyond the commercial return on the loan. They would have the prospect of jobs provided taking people off the dole (deficit reduction) and a UK company taking the lead in a growing and lucrative international market (balance of payments). No other provider of finance would have those things to benefit from. Still Mr Clegg etc would rather provide billions to Irish banks to protect our own very deserving banking sector.

[Messapa]

I don't know if Forgemasters actually sought a loan from elsewhere having been promised one by the UK govt. (I believe they were due to pay interest on that loan). But the UK govt would have an interest in providing a loan to Forgemasters beyond the commercial return on the loan. They would have the prospect of jobs provided taking people off the dole (deficit reduction) and a UK company taking the lead in a growing and lucrative international market (balance of payments). No other provider of finance would have those things to benefit from. Still Mr Clegg etc would rather provide billions to Irish banks to protect our own very deserving banking sector.

 

 

It is indeed crazy that the government refused to loan the money. There is such a wealth of engineering expertise available to be tapped at forgemasters and in Sheffield as a whole that it would be criminal not to support it.

The latest CBI report states that it is our manufacturing sector that will lead this country out of the mess that this new government have got us into.