"the value of the pound was suddenly down twenty percent, and inflation ensured that the devaluation continued at over twenty percent until 1979."

Don, even with your blinkers on you know better than that. Maybe you did not choose apt words, but what you have actually said is gibberish.

As for training schemes, you know several youngsters (well they were then) who benefitted greatly from whatever they were called about 8 years ago - Mark, Rachel's former bassist, who would have been hired muscle (in the worst sense of the term) if Jacqui had not got him onto a scheme and into the music course at NWK college - Paul, Rachel's former bassist, who would have been a psychological wreck and probably a parricide if Jacqui had (etc) - and not a few other of her friends.

Most of all - if you want a state graduated pension - who created it, and who took it away???

Oh, and if GB took the 10% rate band away (although he did put in place in stead a whole range of other supports) who gave it to us in the first place?