The Coaliton & The Cuts

[DarloRich]

DarloRich,

Im still waiting for your answer. how do you propose to pay for those 10,000 non-productive public sector jobs you think are so valuable to the country?

Tax everyone else more?

Mailman

Sorry - not looked at this thread for a while. If I may can I turn the question around.

What do YOU propose to do to help these people find a new job, to re train or re skill, to move to an area where there are jobs, to encourage the wonderful private sector to invest in these run down areas to create jobs and regenerate areas STILL suffering because of policies of 30 years ago?

Why do you think there are so many public sector jobs in these areas? How are you going to pay for the extra benefits people will have to claim? How do you cover the reduction in tax receipts? How do you support the remaining business in the area to survive when their number of customers is drastically reduced?

I don’t think anyone pretends cuts are needed. I don’t think anyone pretends that there won’t be job losses. I don’t think any pretends things are difficult for everyone ( mostly) BUT the cuts are targeted in the wrong place.

We are paying billions for a nuclear deterrent we don’t need. We are chucking aeroplanes at a country that doesn’t concern us, dropping millions of pounds worth of ordinance every day, we are paying billions to foreign countries in aid, we are letting billions escape in " tax planning", loopholes and cheating the system (and that goes on at every level from a person on JSA to a super rich city trader) We are letting the mega rich off too easily, we are letting the banks off too easily BUT we need to cut the number of bin men or social workers or libraries or swimming baths. Something doesnt seem quite right

I hate to say it as I am proud of this country and what this country does and stands for and think we should be helping others in trouble or using our forces to deter aggression in other countries BUT if we are in so much trouble can we afford to chuck billions away?

 

[142094]

No, quite wrong, I checked out your profile first.

I've been away for a few days, so this is the first chance I've had to reply.

First off, my profile does not contain any information about my age, or indeed doesn't say anything about what I have seen in my years. You have made an assumption about how old I am and my point still stands. You don't know anything about my background. Much in the same way, the only thing I can tell from your profile is that you are 'Old Timer'. This being the internet I could assume you are 12 years old.

Your facts about Consett are of course wrong. Between 1981 and 1994 362 small busnesses started in Consett with Government support. Although the Steelworks closed in the mid-1980s, by 1988 the value of houses had risen by a third due to demand. During the recession of the early 1990s house prices did not fall in Consett (source : The Independent). Hardly a town dying on its knees then.

Where did you get the figure of 362 from? Whilst you are checking that, do let me know:

a) How many of these businesses still survive
b) How many people were employed by these businesses
c) How many people who were made redundant from the steelworks were given employment in these new businesses
d) How much government subsidy was paid out

Also, for house prices - can you provide a comparison between Consett and somewhere else at the same time? Were house prices not rising across the country?

Let us look at Germany, a Country which has poor raw materials. 70% of its GDP is from the service Industries of which Banking forms a large part. Manufacturing has only accounted for about 30% and much is now done outside the Country in the Far East. There being much fuss about that in the 1980s and 1990s.

Do you have a source for this 70%, and also how large a part does banking play?

I see you have plenty to shout about but you have produced absolutely nothing to back up what YOU would have done given the situation I have set out for you. A situation that is easily checkable for those who did not live through those times.

Again you are assuming that I did not live through these times. You ask what I would have done? I would have kept the steelworks open - as I have already said it was proving to be profitable in its last years. Instead what Consett was faced with was a sudden loss of its biggest employer with high amounts of unemployment and little prospects for new jobs. IMO it would have been sensible for any of those new small businesses to have been set up whilst the steelworks was still running.

You also fail to recongise that new industry which was brought to the region under the Conservative government at the time either has relied heavily upon government subsidy (Nissan) or has closed down and shifted elsewhere.

PS I forgot. Many of the Labour Cabinet in Opposition during 1979 to 1985 agree that they would have had to close the steelworks as a result of an international fall in demand, due to the International recession, or do you think that the North East was somehow immune to that ?

Nowhere is immune to a recession, but politicians look at the short term and do not see the long term picture. The high price for steel over the past few years is testament to that. When Redcar TCP was closed down my Tata, they did not suddenly demolish the blast furnace did they? SSI are bringing a huge amount of investment to Teesside, as the plant was mothballed and not closed down. Why coudln't Consett have gone the same way?

I notice you also have not responded to any of my points about coal mining in the region. Perhaps you may like to take this opportunity now?