Let's Get Political!

[pauld]

[horlock07]

They don't half attract them....

https://www.hopenothate.org.uk/2019/11/08/exposed-brexit-party-candidates-nazi-inspired-band/

[pauld]

Brexit Party in far-right weirdos shock!

[REDBUCK]

The working clases were not to be fooled this time, even though recovery from WW2 was slow, the post war Labour settlement largely held until Thatcher.

Seeing as i was not taking much notice at that time what was the Narrative in the 1979 election that bought the utopia to an end

[RedRag]

Tory split?

Decision on whether or not to evacuate should be based on the advice of the rescue services, Johnson now tells Yorkshire residents.

[Legends-Lounge]

I’m just looking forward to all the menopause friendly offices if Labour get in. What a load of nonsense!

If.

[Reg Smeeton]

Seeing as i was not taking much notice at that time what was the Narrative in the 1979 election that bought the utopia to an end

 Greater privatisation, sale of council houses, the gradual end of strong local democracy, the attack on trade unions and workers rights, deregulation of capitalism, and the use of mass unemployment to facilitate it.

[REDBUCK]

Ah yes, the release of the strike ridden nation from the power of the unions.

[Reg Smeeton]

Ah yes, the release of the strike ridden nation from the power of the unions.

We had a very small debate on this a while back, but the situation in the early 70's, was that UK was in an economic downturn, this had happened due to the chronic lack of investment in infrastructure and R and D, and the collapse of traditional industries, where UK had been world leader.  These industries at management level were complacent and failed to notice the rise of competitors like Japan and S Korea.

Think of all those great names in the fields of say motorbikes, pushbikes, cars, ships, planes, and many more, that went to the wall, not because the products were shoddy, not because the work force didn't do a good job.

The R and D aspect is summed up by our efforts at space technology, in 70 we could successfully launch an independent satellite Prospero... but it cost and needed government investment, it was scrapped as no commercial use for satellite tech could be envisaged.

Also as the effects on the economy of the end of empire began to kick in UK had joined EFTA as a way of trying to boost performance.... it didn't work hence why we joined the EU, this helped improve matters.

Then a mighty spanner in the already clunky works, OPEC oil embargo.... precipitated inflation at often over 25%.

Now if like me you were a worker at the time, and you see your 40+ hours and overtime, getting you the bare essentials of subsistence overnight, you're not going to be happy and will look to your trade union to do something about it.

[Wobbly Bob]

I think that's a poor comparison, we've come a long way in social reforms even in my lifetime.  Much of the post war improvements were instigated by Clement Attlee's 45 government, and then built on by other Labour administrations.

Attlee for me is a great man, largely overlooked. He fought in WWI at Gallipoli, a disastrous campaign instigated by Churchill, and was penultimate man to leave on withdrawal.

Attlees's victory is rightly classed as astounding, plus the efforts on post war rebuild and reform.

Not so good on the foreign relations front and questioning of the division of post war Europe.
I guess the sun was still shining very brightly out of Uncle Joes backside at that time.

It took the leader of the opposition to make mention of an Iron Curtain.

[REDBUCK]

Reg - Are you really saying that British Cars of the 70's weren't shoddy or badly put together?.

[Exiled Bob]

Reg - Are you really saying that British Cars of the 70's weren't shoddy or badly put together?.

At least we had British cars in the 70s.

[Mister Lorenzo]

At least we had British cars in the 70s.

That were rusting before they came off the production line!

[Reg Smeeton]

Reg - Are you really saying that British Cars of the 70's weren't shoddy or badly put together?.

The history of Britain's car industry from the 60's into the 70's is complex... essentially you had numerous famous marques, which were being bunded together into larger groupings, to try and compete globally.

For example the Rootes group which acquired the likes of Humber and Hillman and tried to develop a new mini style Imp, it proved unsuccessful so Roote sold to Chrysler, who then took tax payer subsidy to try and keep Linwood open and fucked off.

The famous names like Austin, Morris, Land Rover, Mini, Jaguar were bundled into BMC and then BL.  These were noted for excellence, but by about 71, the designs were often considered outmoded.... take something like the Morris Minor, great car but its time was past.

The Management at BL then tried to develop new ranges of averagely designed vehicles, still using the lines and methods, developed in the 50's.

[Audrey]

Think of all those great names in the fields of say motorbikes, pushbikes, cars, ships, planes, and many more, that went to the wall, not because the products were shoddy, not because the work force didn't do a good job.

The reason those industries failed were because they weren’t efficient, we were ‘the sick man of Europe’ because of strikes and other countries - mainly Japan - produced a better product for less money.

Always remember hearing about never buying a British made car which came off the production line on a Friday cos the majority of workers were already in prime weekend mode.