More bullshit from Mandelson.
“To mothball” means “To pretend not finally closed until after the election”.
I do not believe that the UK has a future based on services without a manufacturing base. The consequences of those attitudes are starting to come home to roost. I view it as ludicrous that hundreds of billions of taxpayers’ money can be thrown at banks, but nothing at a steelworks.
A steelworks cant play the “if you dont save us everybody is doomed” card. (unless youre American and make cars)
This is a very sad day for us in Teesside. Despite what they say this Government and local Labour politicians have let us all down.
We are about to lose one of the hardest working, skilled and proud workforces this country has and it is so wrong.
My Grandfather played a key role in building up the steel industry in this country and I am sure his hard work led to his early demise. This Government today brings about the end of the steel industry in our country as we know it. Despite what they say, they could have saved it. They should have saved it.
Well I think we should support our manufacturing base. What about these two “Open Letters”? Spending cuts, or not?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8523034.stm
I’d draw your attention to the blog called CynicusEconomicus. I’m not an economist (hastily crosses himself) and can’t comment on the techie stuff that’s debated, but some of his central theses seem sound to me – there has been a huge expansion of the world labour pool, industry goes where labour is cheapest, Britain is now a poor country but it will take a year or two for that to become obvious.
This is really what ‘globalisation’ means, and what it is for – the beggaring of every household on the planet to maintain a few villas in Tuscany or Martha’s Vineyard.
http://cynicuseconomicus.blogspot.com/
I am not convinced that in something like the manufacture of high quality steels, labour is really that high a proportion of cost compared to the massive investment of capital. Compared to eg a call centre where labour is going to be your biggest cost. Other offsetting factors as well like transport to market.
For an overpopulated Island society to not have the means to produce ships (of which steel is integral), or products to sell to the world market, is equivalent to putting ourselves under siege.
Our reliance on banking, and governments willingness to allow the public sector to grow according to its wants, means our last days will be over-seen by pimps and whores.
Vronsky,
Craig,
seems like your arguments point in the same direction – keep the plant open. The government will still have to support the workers with benefits if they don’t.
They are a conspiracy of the rich, who, on pretence of managing the public, only pursue their private ends, and devise all the ways and arts they find out, first, that they may, without danger, preserve all that they have so aquired, and then that they may engage the poor to toil and labour for them, at as low rates as possible and oppress them as they please.
– Sir Thomas More, _Utopia_, 1516
Yea,but worn’t dat Thomas More guy some kinna ‘spiricist?
He wassa execute cossa he talkin’ bout ‘spiracies da hole goddam time.
I seena dem peuple a Middleboro’ lassa nite on yo’ Brit telvishun anna I gotta say I wassa mitey impress wid dem guys.Dey wassa da very peuple wot made ol’Britanya the grate countre wot it waz.
Now I no dat Dimbledee guy anna mossa hissa dare panel spoka such a lode a hogshite yood gotta mitey finer discushun if yo’Big Brother Corprashun jussa put dem guyz from Middlesboro on da panel inna dare sted.
Seem to me dem peuple up dare no better dan your Browns anna yo’Meddlesons-wot in da guv’men-dan dey do.Lees wayz dey woona sell all yo’gold assa chepes price!
Yu no inna USa’A rite now we got jussa 7% our workin’ forze in manufactorin’-dassa bac to da Civil War dayz!
Well tank’u Massa Brown anna Massa Obama it jussa bout time yu jussa step aside an let da peuple a Middleboro’ anna Chicago hav dare say!
P.S.Any yuz seena dem goddam shill Larry anna angri anna dat guy wid crabs?
P.P.S.I jussa no dey comin’ real soon on accoun’da fac I seen somma dare shill frenz on diss thred alredy.So gon’ get bac to dem shill mitey soon!
Bet yo’axin’ wot da fu.. dem shill noze bout Corus anna Middleboro.Well dey din no nuthin’bout dem Twin Tower but still tooka mitey longa time get dem offa dat thred!