"The traditional heavy industries were in decline and had been for a considerable time."
Due largely to lack of investment
Britain had a fine shipping, textile steel and manufacturing industry but in order to maintain them needed good management and investment.
It became more profitable to buy shoddy abroad - that is what happened to British industry (described as "crap" by a contributor to this thread)- not natural selection.
The various governments of both hues supported the dismantling of British industy so, while the world was maintaining and establishing industrial bases, we were giving ours away without a regard for those who it would effect the most the workers in those industries.
The point we have reached is epitomised by our approach to textiles - we fill our shops with cheap goods produced in death traps of factories for pittance level wages - british jobs have disappeared and we are placated by blaming economic migrants who are coming to Britain to escape conditions we have helped to create.
One of the effects of Britain's de-industrialisation policy is the massive and growing gap between the HAVES and HAVE-NOTS in Britain.
The 'disappeared' industries were nort replaced with new ones to and the somewhat limited voice the worker had won for himself over the centuries was silenced, so they had no say in what was happening to their lives.
The benefit system was totally undermined, making it virtually impossible for many breadwinners to support their families an notice of dismissal was replaced with zero contracts
Higher education has been placed out of reach of the average British family by the introduction and gradual increasing of fees
Security of tenure destroyed by Thatcher's 'Right to Buy' con.
The only thing we have left from Labour's 1940s gift is a health service that staggers from crisis to crisis because of underfunding and concentration on bureaucracy rather than health care.
No industrial base - a dependent nation with no secure future.
Britain's highest export, as things stand, if finance - to the tune of 30 odd percent
A Britain to bring children up in!!!
THATCHER'S HATRED OF TRADE UNIONS
"I agree with your last post Iains, but trying to explain politics on this forum is bashing your head against a brick wall."
One more posting by someone whose entire input is in attacking other's conceived politics without offering a shred of argument - how can you when your postings seldom exceed three sentences of text
Jim Carroll