The UK economy is f****** long term

[sasguru]

So the people believe that money for nothing is a good thing? The people believe that turning public-services into a cash-urinal is a good thing? The people believe that unaccountable politicians is a good thing? What's the weather like on planet SAS, is it warm there too?

Which planet are you on? The people voted Labour in 3 times in a row so it must be true.

[tay]

I agree with SAS, particularly the sad state of affiars with the sciences. They are the most 'uncool' subjects in school.
My best mate did his Phd in inorganic chemistry and worked very hard, lands a position doing research at Cambridge and gains a salary of 19k a year...... the winner of big brother gets five times that at least...

Its not a UK issue though, its a western issue.

[Dundeegeorge]

in sally-annes ear they did'

Which planet are you on? The people voted Labour in 3 times in a row so it must be true.

What was the percentage of people who voted for NuLabia?

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Which planet are you on? The people voted Labour in 3 times in a row so it must be true.

and John Major in 1992 when he thought he was going to lose.

[Flashman]

The decline has taken years. And by various sleights of hand the illusion of prosperity has been preserved and taken in otherwise intelligent people. No government has tackled the root problems though:

- low productivity
- poor education/training
- low social status of technical/science/engineering people
- low level of advanced manufacturing (with a few exceptions)
- the cult of personality (by which I mean bull-tulipters are taken at face value)

Meanwhile unproductive people in finance, media, celebrity culture are glorified and presented as paragons of virtue. Accomplishment in any field, self-discipline, thrift are forgotten virtues.

What is coming is truly deserved.

99 % agreement

Not sure Finance will still be a major UK industry in, say, twenty years time.

Almost certainly in the next decade or so the EU will try to 'regulate' the City of London out of existence. The Euro's have always hated London and New Yorks 'casino' capitalism and the Recession will be the perfect excuse to destroy one of them.

The main centre of finance in the EU will move from London to Frankfurt.

Surviving 'British' financial institutions will move to Switzerland, Dubai, Singapore etc etc

In the long term UK Banking maybe just another dead industry like shipbuilding, steel making, coal-mining, fishing etc etc that we used to do well.

[Moscow Mule]

In the long term UK Banking may well be just another dead industry like shipbuilding, steel making, coal-mining, fishing etc etc that we used to do well.

We'll all have to reskill to become a nation of missile builders then - 'cos that's all the industry we'll have left!

[BrilloPad]

The decline has taken years. And by various sleights of hand the illusion of prosperity has been preserved and taken in otherwise intelligent people. No government has tackled the root problems though:

- low productivity
- poor education/training
- low social status of technical/science/engineering people
- low level of advanced manufacturing (with a few exceptions)
- the cult of personality (by which I mean bull-tulipters are taken at face value)

Meanwhile unproductive people in finance, media, celebrity culture are glorified and presented as paragons of virtue. Accomplishment in any field, self-discipline, thrift are forgotten virtues.

What is coming is truly deserved.

I think you forget to mention footballers.

[ratewhore]

We'll all have to reskill to become a nation of missile builders then - 'cos that's all the industry we'll have left!

BOOMED!!




igmc

[Peoplesoft bloke]

What was the percentage of people who voted for NuLabia?

35.3% in 2005
40.7% in 2001
43.2% in 1997

John Major was elected in 1992 on 41.9%
Thatcher - 1987 - 42.2%
1983 - 42.4%
1979 - 43.9%

[Toastiness]

Does anyone think that matters would be that different if the other lot had been in charge ?
I mean the tories don't have a great record in avoiding Stock Market panics, House Price bubbles or recessions, if memory serves me right ?

But then that's just me....

Toastiness