Wales Has Worst Economy In The Uk - It's Official!

[FLASH_2007]

I think the House Price Crash will hit Wales especially hard due to the fact that wages are so low. There are a number of high earners that vastly skew the figures when it comes to average wages. Im sure that if you did a survey of under 30s in Cardiff city centre on weekday and asked them how much they earn at least 80% would say £15,000 or less.

[StainlessSteelCat]

I lived in Wales for six years - and much of the above chimes with me. They can be a very welcoming people (I remember a cleaner claiming I was practically Welsh as Staffordshire was 'just over the border') but also very insular. As a race - my overriding impression is depression.

The recent brand of nationalism (predominantly manifested in the South) leaves me feeling cold. Traditionally education has been very important - but lingual bias is hampering it. By far the thickest students at the Welsh Uni where I studied - were native Welsh speakers - who on graduation fell straight into high flying jobs in media, politics or education.

Still at least they brought back Doctor Who!

[Dopamine]

What an illuminating discussion. I'd like to add some observations to add to it:

All blacks are violent

Jews are tight

Indians all smell of curry

The Irish, as a race, are thick

Oh, the Scots are tight as well

The French are cowardly and smell of garlic

As a race, the Japanese are mainly sadists,

And everyone who lives in London is a Wanqer

Sorry, but what sort of bolloqs is this thread?

[bluebeard]

A few sweeping generalisations here. According according to National Statistics Online public sector employment as a proportion of total employment is - Northern Ireland 30%, Scotland 24%, Wales 23%, England 20% (2005).

[Jonnybegood]

I think reports like this will do Wales the world of good.

Like they say when your on top the only way is down and when your on the bottom the only way is up.

The only parts of Wales that seem to be doing ok are along the M4 corridor, Mainly Swansea to Newport.

West Wales has beautiful countryside and beaches where farming plays a big role, they don't seem to want high tech industry and happy with what they got.

Over the next decade this farming will become more important to the UK and so will the supplies of Water from Welsh reservoirs.

If the Uk does return to industry for survival you can bet on Wales playing a big part with Coal production and mining already on the radar

[Cogs]

There are a few pockets.. I can only speak for the north but I know they have several defense oriented companies in St Asaph plus several companies involved in solar technologies. There is a tiny bit of medical at Colwyn Bay, otherwise mostly marine, agriculture and retail as far as I can tell. Power generation on Anglesey and the aluminium smelter, although both of those are packing up soon.

St Asaph is only going to happen as the result of closing down places in England and then running up a (typically) colossal PFI bill.

[Byron]

I think that it is important that Wales be prepared to accept relevant criticism.

Historically, the heavy metal bashers were some of the most cultured people in their off duty music and poetry. Apparently, the level of adult literacy was years ahead of England at one time, hence the respect paid to education and the number of Welsh teachers working in England!

But that is in the past and the question for Wales now, is which way forward?

We cannot allow language ability to create a new crachach just as the old one based on wealth is diminishing. Unfortunately, nowadays to criticise the language is worse than to be an outright racist. Its even worse if its defenders realise that you do speak welsh, from then on you are unmentionable and shunned.

This is utterly stupid and only encourages the flight of talent abroad.

Which neatly brings me back on thread......

No bl..ding wonder Wales has the worst economy

[Walton Goggins]

It's tourism will expand...

Not so for North Wales, Mr Brunstrom's zero tolerance anti-speeding mania has stuck a fork in it - it is comprehensively done.

People greeted by fixed penalty notices on their doormats as they return home from their wet week-ends to Colwyn Bay, Anglesey, Barmouth, Rhyl or Porthmadog surprisingly feel no great compulsion to repeat the experience.

Stealth deployment Arrive Alive detection vans lying in wait to catch Vauxhall Frontera diesels as they accelerate away from town to join by-pass sliproads may boost campaign funds wonderfully but croeso to cymru - methinks not.

Meanwhile visit Wrexham town centre and take your life in your hands trying to cross the road from the bus station as it resembles Hangar Straight at Silverstone with the local Vauxhall Corsa boys and girls merrily hitting their rev limiters in second before braking hard into Lord Street. What's wrong with this picture.

Saying that if you are a Chief Constable from elsewhere and are caught doing 90mph in a 60mph the punishment is jolly sporting so they are not all bad.

The only way I would visit North Wales again is by train, but when you can fly to Barcelona for £29 it won't be anytime soon.

[Byron]

"Not so for North Wales, Mr Brunstrom's zero tolerance anti-speeding mania has stuck a fork in it - it is comprehensively done."

Well at least that's one way to make money!

Seriously though, Brunstrom is neatly installing himself in Wales as he has learned to speak Welsh and of course this goes down well with the local Taffia.

[Guest anorthosite]

"Not so for North Wales, Mr Brunstrom's zero tolerance anti-speeding mania has stuck a fork in it - it is comprehensively done."

Well at least that's one way to make money!

Seriously though, Brunstrom is neatly installing himself in Wales as he has learned to speak Welsh and of course this goes down well with the local Taffia.

And he's stuck 2 fingers up to health and safety:

Police chief breaks into his HQ

[SarahBell]

Sheep farming and leak production I think.

Lamb comes from new zealand and poland.

Leeks? We fly them in first class from Peru.

(Did you see the thing about youngs sending prawns to the far east to be processed and then sent back here ?)

[Nomadd]

(Did you see the thing about youngs sending prawns to the far east to be processed and then sent back here ?)

Yep. And I thought Scampi was a "local" dish. . :-)

Still, it shows you the stupid cost of living in this country, doesn't it. We are so laden with debt - mainly housing related - that we can't afford jobs for our own people. It's a mad world when you catch prawns off your own coast and find it more cost-effective to have them "peeled" by someone in Asia and then sent back! Quite, quite mad...

Oh, and of course the BBC couldn't see it from this angle. They had to roll out the "carbon emissions" argument instead. More biased, lazy "quality" journalism from the Beeb. Gordon B. must have been proud.

Nomadd

[SarahBell]

Oh, and of course the BBC couldn't see it from this angle. They had to roll out the "carbon emissions" argument instead. More biased, lazy "quality" journalism from the Beeb. Gordon B. must have been proud.

Nomadd

There was something on the BBC the other day about Gordon being hated by fellow MPs for his "british jobs for british workers" speech.

Cos clearly that's just not PC.

[The Masked Tulip]

(Did you see the thing about youngs sending prawns to the far east to be processed and then sent back here ?)

Ah, that's nice. Sending them on a little holiday!

[Guest Mr Parry]

http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/politi...91466-20252604/

Still love this one.

Dylan Thomas on Swansea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gePHycMSYFw

[Byron]

"british jobs for british workers"

I think that was the sort of thing Sir Oswald Moseley, leader of the British Union of Fascists used to spout.

So naturally, the Labour Party cannot say anything like that, despite the fact that the context of Gordo Has Bean's speech is entirely different. (ie fill the country with migrant workers to fill up all the unwanted BTL flats)

Strange that Nu Labour should object to being in bed with the Fascists, after all Mussolini was a dedicated socialist, edited a socialist newspaper etc.

When you think of just how many things Nu Labour have banned, they have probably overtaken old Musso. At least he had better luck with the trains.

The only real difference that I can spot is that Gordo hasn't got a balcony.