Lib Dems prove once again they are not fit to govern

[DodgyAgent]

How about if we want people to be able to access their money so they can spend it and keep the economy ticking over?

They can stick a cash machine anywhere

[doodab]

If only as simple as that. The Branch may be profitable but who is it to say that the business can be run without a branch?

If the branch is profitable then it's profitable, not unprofitable. Whether or not the business can survive or thrive without it the words mean what they mean. Rob seems to think they don't.

[Scoobos]

I would rather trust human instinct and self interest to correct and balance social concerns than any liberal do gooder.

Oh please do stop, or you will have 1 less "Liberal do gooder" from death , I can hardly breathe.

[doodab]

They can stick a cash machine anywhere

Indeed. Unfortunately in this case they didn't and the entire economy of the town was decimated as a result.

[Robinho]

It has little to do with individual branch profitability. If running branches is no longer part of the strategy then they will be sold off or closed down. If we want "sustainability" (leftie cliche) then someone should be encouraged to open a branch to replace the vacuum left assuming the closed Branch was profitable.

Ideally if we had a static money supply and market set interest rates then the real test of whether something is profitable or not could be measured by comparing how much you'd get if you simply liquidated the branch and stuck the money in the bank (another bank) and took the interest. If you get more by liquidating and creaming the interest, it suggests that the whatever is an inefficient way to utilise the finite resources of the country.

Sadly we don't have those 2 things so it's anyone's guess really.

[sasguru]

I will take Rolls Royce Derby as an example. Here is a company that supports local schools sports clubs and Universities way better than any local government could do. They are driven by a sense of civic pride because it is in their interests to do so. Why because they rely upon .

Interesting you should mention Rolls Royce in the context of this discussion.
You do realise that one of their key products, the Trent jet engine, is only in existence today because of government handouts?
But I'm sure you and your fellow moron, Robby the fool, will ignore this piece of evidence that non-free-market intervention is a good thing sometimes

[Robinho]

If the branch is profitable then it's profitable, not unprofitable. Whether or not the business can survive or thrive without it the words mean what they mean. Rob seems to think they don't.

Again it depends at what level you measure it.

BA used to report that Concorde's NYC flight was profitable. But it had been argued that if they had pulled the flight, then a % of people who flew Concorde would have most likely just flow First Class on a BA 747, and thus BA would have actually made more profit overall (Concorde was a real fuel guzzler).

So yes, the flight might have been "profitable" but when you look at it from a business wide perspective, it reduced the profits of the company, and thus you can consider the service unprofitable.

[doodab]

So yes, the flight might have been "profitable" but when you look at it from a business wide perspective, it reduced the profits of the company, and thus you can consider the service unprofitable.

No you can't. You can consider it an inefficient use of resources, but it's not "unprofitable" because that means something completely ******* different.

I'm guessing you bought concorde into the discussion because the whoosing sound over your head reminded you of it.

[Robinho]

Interesting you should mention Rolls Royce in the context of this discussion.
You do realise that one of their key products, the Trent jet engine, is only in existence today because of government handouts?
But I'm sure you and your fellow moron, Robby the fool, will ignore this piece of evidence that non-free-market intervention is a good thing sometimes

Not really evidence is it? Plenty of things could have happened if they hadn't been bailed out. They could have been bought by GE or PW, or maybe even Lockheed or another investor and the assets reused.

Of they could have just died as the original RB211 wasn't particularly great anyway.

The GE90 is better than the Trent so it wouldn't have necessarily mattered in the end.

[Robinho]

No you can't. You can consider it an inefficient use of resources, but it's not "unprofitable" because that means something completely ******* different.

I'm guessing you bought concorde into the discussion because the whoosing sound over your head reminded you of it.

Whatever you want to call it. You are arguing something completely pointless because it would have still made sense to close the branch anyway.