Labour bail out the banks, but the Steel Industry?

We all know that the Labour Government used taxpayers money to bail out the banks, so whats different with the Steel Industry to save a thousands more 'real' jobs? It seems grass root Labour ideals for the north east won't apply anymore. Does that mean they have gone 'Tory' in their views now then?

No wonder UKIP is being put forward as a real threat to the big three. I suspect those in the north east will be looking elsewhere to rest there pen at the election!

And lets not forget the self-employed persons, who get no help whatsoever from Labour when their company's go bust. I wonder if they will consider the Labour Government friend or foe at the next election?

It seems to me that the Labour Government spending taxpayers money supporting companies that are probably insolvent anyway, is an expensive way of trying to make themselves look good! But hey we are not so stupid Gordon, your unelected reign is nearly over!

Insolvent Company's go to the wall no matter who they are. In fact it's Company Law, wonder why it only applies now and again?

Ron I can add nothing to your above post other than to say that at times i feel your frustration when you speak of the politics of your Country, I have those frustrations as well about the Caribbean. Living in the USA the frustrations are there every day, up in your face as you can imagine. The more i give it energy the more upset i get. I at times think that we get the government we deserve, as most of us vote Viscerally not Intellectually. I know this to be so true of the Caribbean.

Looking forward to better times.

I know, their was an gal the other day, she's an earthquke person, and she was painting such glorious pictures of the "new" Haiti...it was just next to unbeleivable..esp since they took those people in Idaho to jail for trying to take some of the supposedly orphaned kids back here with them. True, they may of went about it wrong, but I think it's going to make people think that they want money from us...more then help as an over-all. For many Americans, we are getting told how nasty we are and corrupt to the rest of the world, but expected to hand over the oodles of money we just don't have these days. Our steel industry was taken out by the plastic industry (oil) and we suffer greatly for that also...to me it has weakened our country in some ways. As for Haiti, they better get with it, in ways, themselves, Hurricane Season is coming...it's not that far away..they are saying 600,000 people are living in tents in refugee camps, but in an city of 11 million, considering they were one of the poorest nations in the world, that sounds reasonable in ways.  It also sounds unreasonable to think we can support that many with our un-employment figures up to 20 per cent in this state also. They are just barely..barely skimming by for the next rwo years in keeping on the state budget, being solvent..after that what?...No jobs, no money to pay taxes...of which right now.... nearly half of very dollar is being taxed to middle income Americans, the lower class gets Govt. substized, the higher class had tax loop holes and never paid thier fair share to begin with, so how they think non-working Americans are going to come up with the cash to help others, they can barely help themself/family these days.Maybe thsi was planned to bring us all down, we wonder, why an Govt, would turn on its own people, and if you think that people livign here are going to buy other countries products while we are goigng without jobs, I don't think so...it's already an "undergrond grass movement" in your e-mail daily...don't buy if its not "American made" products. I think the people in Haiti should be cultivating the soil for future food myself...and more then anything re-establishing their trees(esp fruit)...so the whole island doesn't wash away from errosion some day...which some are claiming may of triggered this last big earthquake. 

Talk of steel and governments reminds me of the early 1980s when Sir Ian MacGregor was at the helm of British Steel under Thatcherism when from 1980-83, jobs went from 166,000 to 71,000.

And when he moved to head the National Coal Board, a similar strategy of job cuts and closures was repeated.

Seems to me over some 5 years, both the steel and coal industries were decimated under the Conservatives. Labour did support bankrupt companies in the '70s---British Leyland for example where Sir Ian had come into British Industry supporting BL's head, Sir Michael Edwards prior to his appointment to British Steel in 1980.

This country has relied far too heavily on the Finance Industry and we now have very little left in the way of manufacturing.

We should have invested much earlier and more heavily in 'Clean Coal' technology (we still have hundreds of years of coal reserves) and used gas purely for domestic purposes - not gas fired power stations, which were the main reasons for coal's demise.  We are now going to be heavily dependent on foreign imports of gas from unstable countries like the Ukraine.  Arthur Scargill was right but his militancy did not help gain sympathy for the miners, many of whom were far from that portrayed by the media. 

In many cases, however, industry brought about its own demise, British Leyland for example and Red Robbo.  Greedy unions were responsible for much of British Industries decline and had far too much power. 

Our fishing industry decline is largely thanks to Ted Heath giving away our fishing waters - now much of the fish that is landed in this country under our quota system goes straight to Spain, whilst our fishing boats are tied up for much of the year and our fishermen have lost their livelihoods. 

I am afraid the blame for the decline of our industry is due to both Labour and the Conservatives - giving in to militancy and being far too shortsighted.

I think the UKIP might have more to offer now.  We need a Goverment for once that will look after this country's interests.

Jane

I hear what you guys are saying and you are right, however some of Ukips Palimentary candidates have a chequered history as do the 'bully-boy right-wing' BNP, 

i think it will be the usual 3 horse race with Labour winning on a reduced majority, the 'true blue' tories will probly just 'pip' the Lib-Dems into second but i think the tories will loose seats to the Lib-Dems. It appears that the conservatives dont have the right answers (or the right candidates) to persuede the floating voters. Sometimes its 'better the devil you know' than risk all on an unknown pretender. 

Do your MPs have term limits over there?  That's the problem with our congress, they can become life members.  Then their only concern is getting re-elected so they can continue to live in their little fantasy world.  And because of this and the fringe ideologies that dominate both sides, our govt. has come to a grinding halt.  It's shameful.