Better get an allotment or a second hand refrigerated truck?

[Richard]

So, STFU about Brexit.

[tim...]

and they still will. why should that change

The point is that we don't need a trade deal with the Us to improve that percentage as it probably wont

but it's one that is saturated

It's Asia and South America that are the expanding economies,. These are the ones that we need to be selling more to

no point even bothering IMHO

tim

>

[tim...]

why do you make this nonsense up?

Yep, though that doesn't mean that we stop selling that which we already sell

but it hasn't

economically it's expanding

It's the EU that contracting

in 1970 whatever, when we joined the EU, it was 40% of world trade

now (with far more countries) it is 25% of world trade

ROW has thus increased from 60% to 75%

you can expect that to continue as individual citizens of Asia get richer

tim

[tim...]

oh the people who have been serially wrong

tim

[critcher]

It reduced the social housing stock,houses were mostly sold off to private investors thus creating the shortage of social housing. The argument that you used for tenants not being forced to buy is correct, but human greed knows no bounds and like the recent Brexit referendum people make decisions based on how they think it will affect them. The public utilities that were sold and the shares that people bought, where are they now? yes you are right, they are in the hands of investment groups and no longer owned by the people who rightfully owned them. The Cons have always used peoples greed and lack of foresight to achieve their own ends.

[critcher]

How anyone that works for a company can vote for the Cons beats me. Profit and investors are what matters to the companies and Cons and the ends to achieve that are low wages and use peoples ignorance against them.

[critcher]

Most of the improvements to worker rights were initiated by a Labour government. We still don't have a legal right to bank holidays even now in 2018.

[John Angus]

He wasn?t talking about other industries. He was talking about for the non union members in the industry the union is involved in.

Must be why they were the first to have a universal minimum wage and hiked that substantially.

Simple, really. Hence my hating the

Delivering higher wages for those on the minimum wage.

[critcher]

by the way Pamela, you have just initiated a thread as large as Bill Wright generally manages.

[RJH]

Apparently there is now a slight shortage, in terms of homes per household. But the figures are slippery, mainly because of the big increase in households (not population), but also investment and multiple home owners. They're not exactly forthcoming.

And the UK planning system has been set up to serve and 'oil the wheels' of private housebuilders. And a constant complaint from them relates to the green belt . . .

In general, I'd agree. But it doesn't work that way - you can't just chuck a housing estate on a field even if the the policy is relaxed.

Firstly, obviously, infrastructure (social and physical). New towns sort of covers this (if you like Harlow etc).

But there's also the chicken/egg. Who will it be for? It simply will not be affordable without some form of state intervention - council homes at one end, subsidise the private sector at the other. Either way, it'll cost.

But that's trivial in the face of the ideological objections. Council housing could be built 'free' (financed by rent) - now - were it not for ideology.

And the whole thing's a car crash in any event. IIUC housing developers and other speculators have been hoovering up any decent land with access for the best part of 30 years. So policy would need some form of investment tax. And the building lobby is too powerful - so round in circles we go. I've been predicting a liberalised green belt planning policy for 20 years . . . :-)

Agreed.

Even in

Not just MPs - only 600-odd of them. It's the entire class of multiple home property owners/investors. But I'd also mix in (as you do below) the market fixation.

Anecdotally, a good number of MPs have social housing tenancies in London. One rule for them . . .

Yep.

[John Angus]

Also those who are well enough paid so that they can afford the convenience.

[John Angus]

Because you mostly don?t get a choice of union. Its either join the only one available or don?t join it or leave the only one.

[John Angus]

And will continue to be when the UK leaves the EU.

Don?t need to.

No point in praying, it won't. They will still have to get the aircraft engines from the UK because they don?t make their own and the only alternative comes from the USA. They will still have to get their documentaries and drama from the UK, because its much better than what the USA produces and what they produce themselves. They will still have to get their financial services from the UK because it still does that much better than they do themselves. They will still have to get the best scotch from the UK, because they don?t produce anything like that themselves. If they prefer welsh lamb for whatever reason, they will still do that.

[RJH]

Sadly, I have. How does (any) union rule book exclude zero hour contract workers?

[John Angus]

Action will be taken, it just takes time.

Of course the Trump may well just flounce out of the WTO when that happens.

[RJH]

Well yes, I did mean 'at least'.

Nope, you've lost me.

[John Angus]

He isnt suggesting they be asked to do that.

That?s only true when there is no trade deal between those countries. Its fine when there is.

Yes, but that?s just as true of EU exports to the UK like cars.

[John Angus]

That?s only true of a trade agreement with the USA. OTOH free trade agreements with everyone else are much more common now than they were 40 years ago and the current fashion is much lower tariffs too.

Even true of the EU itself.

Sure, but he wont be around forever and the UK doesn?t actually do a lot of trade with the USA.,

OTOH it may well see plenty give up on the USA but still be happy to have a trade agreement with the UK, particularly with the commonwealth countries that had the UK make an obscene gesture in their general direction when it joined the EEC,.

[bert]

In article , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Bit of a circular argument. What of those businessmen who are supporters of Labour?

[bert]