Revealed: How 1.4 Million Spent A Decade On The Dole Under Labour

[PopGun]

Not just this, but from the 80s onwards we were all told to become selfish "yobs." Some of us get to do it in suits. Others in clothing from JJB Sports. But what do I care? I have loadsa muney.

Bl00dy Harry Enfield, I blame him for everything.

[ccc]

I also think people can exaggerate both the good and the bad when talking about the past.

I grew up in East London and If I had £1 for everyone who told me their dad/uncle/cousin/brother worked for the krays I would be living in a paid for mansion right now.

The Krays worked for me. And I was only 3 at the time so shows you how tough I am.

[zilly]

This is pretty true. There was a massive increase in children born into deprivation after 1979. I'm sure Thatcher's policies were something to do with it but also has to be mentioned that the same phenomenon happened in other countries (the USA, Australia, France) at the same time (I'm recalling this from an Economist article I read a couple of years back). Some people have pointed out that 1980 was about the time that globalisation really started to kick in. Basically the value of manual work fell rapidly in the rich world after the 70s and that meant the low skilled section of the workforce rapidly went from being able to bargain for a half decent living to being able to bargain for jack.

Yes globalisation is key to what's happening here (and the USA) but there doesn't really seem to be much debate about it.

Seems like what happens to your country when you move all your bulk manufacturing abroad is a question that's too uncomfortable to face.

The elephant in the room.

So don't face it - have a giant credit boom instead to create a retail/services/real estate boom.

The trouble is now we've done the dot com thing and the credit thing, where's the next trick up our sleeves to mask the true effects of two decades plus of downsizing and offshoring our jobs..?

The landscape now in this globalised marketplace is very different to 1973, 1980 or even 1990. The Internet also has changed the game.

I really don't see where we go from here, particularly as we are big on spivs but short on technologists.

[PopGun]

Yes globalisation is key to what's happening here (and the USA) but there doesn't really seem to be much debate about it.

Seems like what happens to your country when you move all your bulk manufacturing abroad is a question that's too uncomfortable to face.

The elephant in the room.

So don't face it - have a giant credit boom instead to create a retail/services/real estate boom.

The trouble is now we've done the dot com thing and the credit thing, where's the next trick up our sleeves to mask the true effects of two decades plus of downsizing and offshoring our jobs..?

The landscape now in this globalised marketplace is very different to 1973, 1980 or even 1990. The Internet also has changed the game.

I really don't see where we go from here, particularly as we are big on spivs but short on technologists.

Yep, nowhere left to run for the fake wealth generators. It will become apparent very quickly just how much real 'wealth' they actually contribute to the real economy.

Edited December 17, 2010 by PopGun

[tomwatkins]

Yes globalisation is key to what's happening here (and the USA) but there doesn't really seem to be much debate about it.

Seems like what happens to your country when you move all your bulk manufacturing abroad is a question that's too uncomfortable to face.

The elephant in the room.

So don't face it - have a giant credit boom instead to create a retail/services/real estate boom.

The trouble is now we've done the dot com thing and the credit thing, where's the next trick up our sleeves to mask the true effects of two decades plus of downsizing and offshoring our jobs..?

The landscape now in this globalised marketplace is very different to 1973, 1980 or even 1990. The Internet also has changed the game.

I really don't see where we go from here, particularly as we are big on spivs but short on technologists.

The Luddites said more or less the same thing.

[CrashedOutAndBurned]

The Luddites said more or less the same thing.

Were the Luddites actually wrong, though? Their worst fears actually came to pass.

[Tiger Woods?]

The Luddites said more or less the same thing.

I often refer to my self as a Luddite with a certain amount of pride.

[SarahBell]

BBC news earlier were going on and on about the 'shambles' and 'chaos' of the 'key plank' in the coalition policy on immigration being 'thrown up in the air' following a Court decision that ruled their temporary limit on migrants from outside the EU was ruled unlawful.

They showed how a care home relied on skilled staff from the Philippines to make the business work....clip of Philipinno lady making a bed.

Wonder if any of that 1.4 million can make a bed?

They would if the benefits system correctly rewarded unemployment

[scuuzeme]

One thing i want to know is who worked the fields before the Poles got here. Fields around here are full of them.

Me, amongst others!

At the time (25 odd years ago), my co workers were almost entirely British, composed of the poorer locals, young people like me who couldn't find any other work, and a large contingent of Londoners who would travel down to Kent and live in sheds and old caravans for the summer / autumn.

Apart from the young guys (who were a small contingent and largely blokes), most of them were middle aged or older women.

There were also some older school kids, some students (and some small kids brought along by their mothers and forced to earn their crust) during the holidays.

It was pretty hard work if you wanted to make any money at all (it was all "piecework" - you got paid by weight), but you could earn a fair bit more than the dole at the time.

I'd not have done it If I could have found better, or if the dole had paid similar.

(I did meet some Poles when I was on the strawberries the once, but they were an old couple who traveled round in their camper van as a lifestyle choice.

Lovely people they were, very friendly and generous with a cup of tea or a bit of food and a chat after work)

Edited December 17, 2010 by scuuzeme

[Brett]

I really don't see where we go from here, particularly as we are big on spivs but short on technologists.

That's a myth. 'We' have technologists. The problem is they are working for foreign multinationals because of the pre-determined political plan that is globalisation. Also, even if some genius created a new 10 billion GBP industry, only 20% odd of that sum would be going to the Inland Revenue, which is nothing.

This is all nonsense fed to us as a false intellectual debate. You should see from the above example how silly it is.

Edited December 19, 2010 by Brett