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Old 20th August 2019, 08:11   #1
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Default An interesting read

Take a look HERE

It may be something you've read before, but nonetheless interesting, including the comments left by the readers of the article.

If nothing else, MGJohn will find a lot which resonates.

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Old 20th August 2019, 08:56   #2
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Originally Posted by marinabrian View Post
Take a look HERE

It may be something you've read before, but nonetheless interesting, including the comments left by the readers of the article.

If nothing else, MGJohn will find a lot which resonates.

Brian
Can't remember the title but some years ago I read a revealing book about the merger of our motor industry into British Leyland. The conclusion was that Donald Stokes had the impossible task of combining and rationalising some 40 separate plants from Austin and Morris to Land Rover and Leyland trucks into a cohesive whole. None of the chiefs would relinquish their segment - William Lyons undersold the Jag and the Mini made a profit of £35 on each one sold. I may be wrong here but I don't believe that Red Robbo or anyone else from the union side ever was involved in design investment decisions - appalling management must take the major share of the blame. (I recently ran a Stag which should of course have had the Buick bought-in RV8 but internal marque competition stopped it.) Need I go on?

But then the UK has never valued engineering, at least since the steam age. Look at today: so called British Steel in administration as I write. Is the City going to step up to the plate? Is it . . . Some Turkish fund may or may not buy it. And now we're immersed in B . . . t.
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Old 20th August 2019, 10:24   #3
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I think the article sums up the situation of how UK car manufacturing got to where it is absolutely 100%. Also this British attitude has had this effect on most of our traditional industries and is the reason our once great engineering heritage is now just about all gone.
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Old 20th August 2019, 13:59   #4
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All the best bits of industry gets bought up by the Germans/EU bankers. They steal the best bits and flog the rest off cheap. They are doing it all around the "lesser" countries in the EU. Massive loans which are snapped up and spent, then demand the money back (Yeah right) and Bob's yer uncle, another cheap purchase for ???? Guess who!
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Old 20th August 2019, 14:58   #5
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All the best bits of industry gets bought up by the Germans/EU bankers. They steal the best bits and flog the rest off cheap. They are doing it all around the "lesser" countries in the EU. Massive loans which are snapped up and spent, then demand the money back (Yeah right) and Bob's yer uncle, another cheap purchase for ???? Guess who!
Yep! - Spot on RB - but please don’t start me off again........
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Old 20th August 2019, 15:13   #6
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Originally Posted by roverbarmy View Post
All the best bits of industry gets bought up by the Germans/EU bankers. They steal the best bits and flog the rest off cheap. They are doing it all around the "lesser" countries in the EU. Massive loans which are snapped up and spent, then demand the money back (Yeah right) and Bob's yer uncle, another cheap purchase for ???? Guess who!

I'm intrigued by this view.

Any chance you could spell out the relative volumes (in financial and industrial terms) of the UK industries purchased by the Germans, the rest of the EU states, the US and China?

Also, given that we are allegedly at the pinnacle of the financial trading world, what do you think stops us (the UK financial/investment institutions including banks) from buying these industries?

One could presume that the reason these German/EU (and other) institutions can buy Uk industry is that the industries are for sale to whoever is willing to buy them and is able/willing to invest in engineering industries. If that is the case, how does it become stealing if they keep some bits of them and sell off the rest?

Finally, could this be a case of the UK not wishing to invest but always wanting to blame others for doing it better and the consequences?

I would welcome your thoughts.

PS It would also be useful to have your view on the fact that we in the UK now buy millions of tons of cheap imported rubbish each year. Who should we blame for this - the people who produce it and are willing to sell it to us or those who buy it in preference to home produced not so cheap but higher quality goods.

Last edited by MSS; 20th August 2019 at 15:31..
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Old 20th August 2019, 15:41   #7
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Good question Maninder - I trust you will accept the answer
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Old 20th August 2019, 16:43   #8
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If you read the comments, you still in 2019 have the left blame the right blame the left and the middle blame everyone lol. I had this talk with my farther who is a retied engineer from BA and he said that the UK has always preferred the banking service industry over engineering industry.
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Old 20th August 2019, 18:14   #9
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If you read the comments, you still in 2019 have the left blame the right blame the left and the middle blame everyone lol. I had this talk with my farther who is a retied engineer from BA and he said that the UK has always preferred the banking service industry over engineering industry.
I totally agree - most people in Government or in senior positions in “public service” have anything but Science or Engineering degree or qualifications.

And this is a long term significant issue for the U.K. It’s referenced in the article whereby the U.K. car industry was described as being run by amateurs.
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Old 20th August 2019, 18:29   #10
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Kick a man when he is down:-
Bankers???
and more!
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