BBC Blog Network

User Profile

Neils

Listed below are comments made by Neils between Thursday, 27th November 2008 and Friday, 4th December 2009.

«Newer
Older»

Anger at failure to save 1,700 steel jobs on Teesside 5:16pm on 04 Dec 2009 Nothing changes.

Over 20yrs ago I remember my uncle losing his job when they shed jobs at Redcar.

What i'd like to know is why hasn't anyone gone to New York and raised a class action lawsuit against the consortium that have reneged on their contract?

Joking aside why hasn't anything been pursued against the consortium? Was there a get out clause in the contract already?

More unemployment for Teeside.

It remains to be seen what the knock on effect will be on the area which already has a high level of unemployment and has done for some time.
Bank reform: The radical way 8:45pm on 22 Oct 2009 " 1) The banks. Something needs to be done and it has to be pretty major. New Labour have no idea and fear that any actions that seem like letting the bankers off could cause electoral suicide for them. Best to keep quiet and hope no one raises it until after the election.
2) The public sector. Public sector pay, pensions and staffing need a cleansing like the Augean stables but any attempt by Labour to sort this out will cause massive unrest in the councils and NHS. The Public Sector Unions just won't stand for it and Gordon can't afford to stand up to them.
3) The Post Office. Again despite their being a decisive need for leadership in an organisation that is Government owned we have no leadership from Mandelson, Brown or Darling and the strikes keep on coming.
4) PFI. All of this is off balance sheet and apparently if it was brought back on then Government debt would treble. PFI deals need paying whether the hospitals or schools are used or not. PFI will drive education and NHS choices for the next 20 years. Any government spending cuts will make this even worse. Expect real problems over the next two years that will make the current situation look like a garden party in comparison.
5) Defence. Whether it is Trident, new aircraft carriers with no planes or an overstretched army and a non trained TA allied to just how and when we get out of Afghanistan, if we ever will in our lifetimes. The lack of activity and leadership from the top is a disgrace. "

Couldn't agree more...

The banks need to understand there is no second chance. If they think they can screw things up again and expect to get bailed out by the poor and middle classes then they need to wake up and smell the coffee...

...we the poor downtrodden citizens will rise up and overthrow you and your corrupt Govt. media cabal. Repeat. There is no second chance.

Why Applegarth and others have been let off scot free amazes me

PFI is a massive millstone. Another 'Prudent Chancellor' special along with the Pensions raids.

In the nearest local town to me, Chesterfield, there's a PFI built school whose roof came off in windy conditions which suggested the quality of these new shiny PFI buildings are all style and little substance.

Tough decisions are required.

Unfortunately Broon is so indecisive and knows the game is up. The unions have him over a barrel...

...as for the CDS debacle the offered solution sounds good to me.

Banking needs to get a life and get its head out the cocaine tray and get a big dose of reality.
BAE: Can't pay, would like to pay 09:41am on 01 Oct 2009 Quelle Surprise!

An earlier investigation into fraud was dropped due to 'National Interest' but now that the 'National Interest' has changed from winning defence contracts (regardless of the morals used to win said contracts) when times were good to today where cutting spending by any means necessary (fines, taxes etc rather than cutting back on waste) is the order of the day.

Its quite convenient that BAE should be penalised now and not any time in the past few years.

Why Serious Farce Office?

This smells bad.

It stinks to the heavens....
News of the World bugged Sun editor 4:38pm on 10 Jul 2009 75. hits the nail on the head & outlines the real story behind this story:

"The real story is that certain elements of the British establishment seem to have conspired not to fully pursue allegations against an organisation which just happens to be part of one of the worlds most powerful media conglomorates.

That is what needs clearing up, because as it stands it implies that some organisations are above the law, meaning that we live in a two tier society - not the democracy we thought."

I believe the story was originally brought into the public domain to smear Coulson and his Tory connections.

However the real story is the fact that the police, Government and others believe there is nothing worth re-opening and investigating when clearly there is i.e. it's being swept under the carpet.

I hope one of the rich people targeted will refuse to be paid off and make a fuss about their treatment.

Do you think if a local paper acted in this same manner would be let off so lightly?
Rio, China and British investors 2:59pm on 12 Feb 2009 Costmeabob wrote:

'The road from Downing St to the Palace is short and sweet'

Personally I would have enjoyed his comment if he'd said the road from Downing Street to the Tower is short and sweet.

The Tower is where those who have allowed this situation to occur should go.

Who is to blame here in the UK?

Bankers & Traders? Yes

FSA? Yes

Gordon Clown? Yes

Rating Agencies? Yes

Personal greed for some but not necessarily all persons who were 'economic with the truth' when self declaring their income on mortgage applications? Yes

Pension Fund Managers? Yes

Need we go on?
Refuelling the motor industry 4:55pm on 27 Jan 2009 Andyjac06 wrote:

'While I'm having a whinge I would like to ask all those GB haters on here who blame Mr. Brown for our current predicament why didnt the US Govt. or any other world Govt spot the onrush of this financial meltdown?'

All the Govts are culpable. Is there a conspiracy? Who's to say.

This much is true.

There is only so much money Laurel and Hardy can keep shelling out on the peoples behalf into dead end businesses and the wealthy's pockets before the same people rise up and string them up on the lamposts on Parliament Bridge.....

The car industry needs to take a sabbatical.

As others have pointed out, there is a glut of new cars sitting on disused airfields etc around the country. Not being sold and not likely to be sold in the immediate future.

We're in recession.

We know that we may need every penny we've got to use prudently (remember the Prudent Chancellor anyone?) to ensure we survive this period by cutting back on luxuries and buying necessities.

A brand new car for the vast majority of people is a luxury, not a necessity.

In recessionary times luxury industries will suffer.

If these manufacturers haven't improved their businesses or set aside for a rainy day then they deserve to go to the wall (admittedly not good for their employees and suppliers)

Reinvent yourselves.

Manufacture something different or unique but necessary.
Vulnerable small firms 10:46am on 13 Jan 2009 Reforse wrote:

And just how many small suppliers will Tesco personally drive out of business with it's practices?

I think you need to replace the word 'will' with 'does'

This issue applies to all the supermarkets.

Buy One Get One Free offers are paid for by the manufacturer of the product. The supermarket demands the manufacturer provides the product and often insists that the manufacturer pays for all the marketing for the offer! The manufacturer makes a profit only after shifting volume x. If the manufacturer refuses to run the promotion then its product will be sidelined or dropped.

Supermarkets are, like the utility companies, a cosy cartel. The modern day Untouchables thanks to the close relationship that big business and government (of any political persuasion) maintain. Regulators exist to provide the illusion that they work in the interests of the consumer when in reality they are toothless tigers. All mouth and limited action.

Tesco's own brand products are poor. I'd rather pay more for a Sainsbury equivalent or go to Morrisons.
Rose on pay and VAT 4:38pm on 07 Jan 2009 Too many of these 'executives' of lots of companies have made hay whilst the sun shines with nice pay rises, bonuses and even when clearly displaying incompetence receive golden handshakes. RBS, NR in the UK spring to mind..

They can easily afford to take the hit that no pay rise or bonus for a year or two entails.

Meanwhile on planet real world the rest of us are dependent upon a pay rise to try and keep us in line with inflation.

Many receive no pay rise.

They have my sympathy. Costs are rocketing including those the Govt. conveniently refuses to recognise as contributing to inflation.

The current 'official' or 'Mickey Mouse' rate of inflation is 5%.

The VAT reduction was a joke and had no real impact on increasing sales. If Darling and Clown believed that it would provide any stimulus then they really deserve to be sent to an asylum.
Taxpayers to subsidise wage costs? 1:26pm on 11 Dec 2008 An interesting proposal but:

What happens after the 6 month period?

Does the company go back with another begging bowl?

Will this bailout happen for small businesses or just for those who employ large numbers of people?

I'm not sure how feasible this proposal is given that the recession is likely to last more than a year.

People, businesses and Govt. need to accept responsibility for their actions.

Will we continue to reward failure instead of teaching people about accountability and responsible actions?

Risks are taken but the taxpayer cannot bailout anyone and everyone otherwise we will have a debt millstone around our necks forever.

Britain is no longer a world powerhouse and is unlikely to ever regain such a position for the forseeable future...
Weep for Woolies 10:55am on 27 Nov 2008 "Take a bag of own brand teeth and lips sweets for example. Woolworth's, Tesco and Morrisons all sell them, but they may well be supplied by different companies in different areas of the country. Therefore, a supplier has lost its main/only customer and may be forced to close with the loss of further jobs. In turn, a haulage company will have also lost a customer at a vital time (delivering the sweets from the factory to Woolworth's), as will the producers of the sweet's ingredients. "

You might be write but not necessarily true.

I worked with a woman whose father was a director of a large food company in Sheffield. They made Christmas cakes for all the major supermarkets. The only difference was the packaging and the quantity of the expensive ingredients. M&S has more of the expensive ingredients than Tesco. However the cakes were all made in the same factory.

I don't doubt many companies may go to the wall or have to lay off people as the knock on effect continues and I hope they get some support or new employment.

'Govt policy doesn't support lame ducks'

Not strictly true. As others have mentioned why are many banks being supported?

The answer is obvious.

People would be out on the streets and our politico's would be hanging from lamposts....

«Newer
Older»

^ Back to top

BBC MMVI

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

BBC.co.uk

BBC Blog Network

Find and talk to the BBC's bloggers.

User Profile

Neils