Need a job?

[HugeWhale]

Exactly, the whole point of the EU investment in these less developed countries is to encourage development.

It isn't, it's pure socialism. The UK has spent a thousand years accumulating wealth that is now to be given to Romania. What exactly stopped them from accumulating their own wealth in this time? My family certainly didn't stand in their way! Yet it's me who's having to dolly up.
Likewise, Sweden are funding Belgium and Luxembourg. Why?
The Netherlands are funding Greece. Again, why? What stopped Greece from accumulating its own wealth? Greece had a civilisation while the Netherlands was still overrun by forest tribes, yet the Netherlands are now supporting them.

And the same thing will happen here if Corbyn gets in. That BTL - that'll be confiscated. After all, it's immoral for you to own a second home while others don't have anywhere to live.

You've been warned.

[GreenMirror]

Surely prison labour is the way to go. Get the chain gangs picking fruit. They can be overseen by a tough guy in mirror sunglasses.
Added benefit - the minimum wage does not apply to prisoners so they'll do it for half an ounce of snout.

Or the unemployed? Wasn't that tried before by some Hitler bloke?

Maybe farmers could convert to pick your own?

[GreenMirror]

The UK has spent a thousand years accumulating wealth.

In Victorian times the UK was the richest nation on earth. By plundering the rest of the world. And the vast majority of UK citizens lived in squalor.

It made me laugh when Brexiters said Brexit would take us back to Victorian times.

[original PM]

Exactly, the whole point of the EU investment in these less developed countries is to encourage development. So, at some point you have to look at developing technology to do these low paid jobs with less and less people wanting to do them.

But that is the thing - the EU want to keep an 'under class' of people to do the tulipty jobs whilst at the same time telling these people that membership of the EU is good for you.

It is the same as the race to the bottom argument - and that article sums it up nicely - the youth of Romania do not want to pick fruit - they want a proper career and some genuine options for advancement.

So if the next generation of baristas/fruit pickers etc are not Eastern European then where are they going to come from - how many other countries are not in the EU which could fill that gap?

But then they will eventually run out so what do you do - at which point you either have to change your model or see slavery as the only option.

[HugeWhale]

In Malaysia monkeys have been trained to pick coconuts. I suspect the greedy blighters would eat all the strawberries though.

[tomtomagain]

By plundering the rest of the world. And the vast majority of UK citizens lived in squalor.

I think you'll find the industrial revolution had more to do with the UK's wealth than plunder.

At the same time we were helping ourselves to Jonny Foreigners lands, there were plenty of other Empires. French, Dutch, Portuguese and Astro-Hungarian for a start. But we had the lead on them in industrialisation.

Before that, there were the Spanish, Romans and countless other empires.

Empires come and empires go. That's what history tells us. But it's technology and innovation that makes us richer. Not politicians or empires.

That's why today you have a life so luxurious that it would make a 17th century monarch envious. Easy travel, abundant and varied food, amazing health prospects and magical gadgets that could not have been dreamt of.


Meanwhile, back on the farm, farmers may struggle to find low-cost labour to pick their berries ( I doubt it personally ), but it will be the clever farmer who innovates, does more with less, invents and refines who cleans up in the Strawberry market.

[scooterscot]

The year is 2300 - Mr & Mrs Smith of Buzz Buckinghamshire have had to delay their vacation to lunar as EU regulation 12332.a.43 Paragraph 3.2 remains in force in the midst of on-going negotiations with the Mogg Empire.

It's the EU's fault, n it?

[tomtomagain]

The year is 2300

It's the EU's fault, n it?

The life-span of an empire is 250 years. So you're being over-optimistic.

Not something we normally say about you.

[Mordac]

Are all the Mods asleep? They usually wheel out Old Sparky when someone mentions the B word in General...

[vetran]

I think you'll find the industrial revolution had more to do with the UK's wealth than plunder.

At the same time we were helping ourselves to Jonny Foreigners lands, there were plenty of other Empires. French, Dutch, Portuguese and Astro-Hungarian for a start. But we had the lead on them in industrialisation.

Before that, there were the Spanish, Romans and countless other empires.

Empires come and empires go. That's what history tells us. But it's technology and innovation that makes us richer. Not politicians or empires.

That's why today you have a life so luxurious that it would make a 17th century monarch envious. Easy travel, abundant and varied food, amazing health prospects and magical gadgets that could not have been dreamt of.


Meanwhile, back on the farm, farmers may struggle to find low-cost labour to pick their berries ( I doubt it personally ), but it will be the clever farmer who innovates, does more with less, invents and refines who cleans up in the Strawberry market.

Agree the Industrial revolution and trading skills were far more important than our Empire building.

Indeed India was happy trading with us until the local tribal leaders decided to have a civil war again and drag us into it. Prior to that the troops kept by the east India company were there to stop the French & other empires invading.

If you want to really regret having been a colony have the Belgians in charge! Though the Spanish & Germans were pretty horrific.

As per my post about BBC Click the other week its a Europe wide problem the Dutch are having similar labour issues and are innovating with picking technology. The country that manages it & leads the way will be very profitable. So Mrs Strong & stable lets work on Green, robotics & pharma technology where we are actually ahead of the game.