Is It Time To Nationalise Our Steel Production?

[crookesey]

1 hour ago, HumbleNarrator said:

So you're advocating for not having control?

No, I’m asking you where I advocated wanting control, you posted it, the least that you can do is find it.

[trastrick]

42 minutes ago, Organgrinder said:

Which goes to show that our political model is wrong.

I have spent years watching our governments chopping and changing, and selling, our important assets

Each government comes in with a new way of thinking and starts wasting money changing everything again.

All political parties should sit together and agree which industries are too important to national security and to the smooth running of the country.

These should be gas, electricity, water, steel and railways and it could be open to discussion whether there could be more.

A joint National Industry committee formed from all political parties should be responsible for the overseeing of these industries with Britain's current needs always at the forefront.

No incoming government would be allowed to upset these plans without the full agreement of the National Industry committee.

Not easy to set up and run but, we have spent too long feathering the nest for Russia, & China, and leaving ourselves at the mercy of them and other world happenings.

It's time to put ourselves first, no matter what the cost and, whatever costs do come, they should be borne mainly by those with the broadest shoulders.

Government spending on THEMSELVES, and the monarchy should also be looked at because Westminster  warriors syphon money effortlessly with little accountancy. 

Be careful, that sounds a lot like MABGA 

 

[RollingJ]

28 minutes ago, El Cid said:

They call them non-profit making organisations, like Network Rail.

It's just about setting up the correct structure and funding. The issue with the railways is that they have no competition, the same with water. The water companies do not compete with each other, but the energy companies do.

Nationalise the energy companies and you will still have high prices, because the oil price is set internationally, by trade.

Not if we take trastricks 'communism' route.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, trastrick said:

Be careful, that sounds a lot like MABGA 

 

Don't know what the hell MABGA is but I don't care.

We have let our politicians lead us into almost total dependency and we need to dig ourselves out.

Whilst we are doing it, let them tighten their belts!

[Jim117]

This is a tricky subject. When I was involved in the steel business it was as a fabricator not in steel production but using steel products. One problem was that China would dump tonnes of steel at the docks with orders for their agents to just sell it. So the market price would be low and the gaffers would price jobs accordingly to attract customers. Of course when there wasn’t a pile of cheap steel on the docks and we had to source locally our repeat customers wanted to know why we were charging more. Obviously the Chinese are geared for mass production and have cheaper labour costs which is always going to have an effect on the market. That said, in my opinion no country can call itself first world if it is incapable of producing such a basic commodity for itself. Also as a Sheffielder I’m glad we are still highly capable in the fields of specialist steel and large casting. So in answer to the OP I would say if the government or MOD has to step in then so be it. Interestingly the US is starting to see more manufacturing capacity brought home since Covid supply chain issues and an increasingly hostile China.