Thatcher

[Atilla]

Ooohhh elo! What's this about then???


BBC News - Why not... nationalise the railways?


Just out of interest when that Oxfort snot suggests "Instead we should end the practice of franchising, which creates private monopolies, and allow real competition and diversity."

He fails to point out you can't have competition on a single line between two trains racing each other.

Something coined as a natural monopoly. Same goes for pipes and wires going into a house.

 

[Trader333]

The competition is against other forms of transport which I am sure you knew

 

[new_trader]

A monopoly can seldom be established within a country without overt and covert government assistance in the form of a tariff or some other device.

 

[Pat494]

Talking of trains. Some idiot is proposing to waste billions of £s to make the high speed rail thingy go all the way up North. It will save a few minutes of journey time if there aren't any leafs on the track etc. and threatens to flood the South with escaped Northerners.

 

[Atilla]

The competition is against other forms of transport which I am sure you knew

I seem to have missed that point. But that idiot from AI is still talking about fewer journeys by train up until privatisation which is skewed data imho.

Thatcher encouraged spending public money on motorway building and supported company cars make making them tax efficient at the expense of public transport. There were less cars on the road back then too. Not only that - fuel was around $16 a barrel about that time so car travel was considerably cheaper than rail.

Do they tell you that in their blurb? No of-course not. I'm sure they don't even register the points in their dismal analysis.

 

[Splitlink]

Yes, France and Germany are disappointed with theirs. The trains do not pay. Cataluña is annoyed with Madrid for not connecting it to Paris quick enough. Here, it is a very politically motivated scheme and is used as part of the drum to stir up independence. Here are all of us, short of arable land and food growing capacity and we are destrying miles of it with this mad idea.

 

[Atilla]

Talking of trains. Some idiot is proposing to waste billions of £s to make the high speed rail thingy go all the way up North. It will save a few minutes of journey time if there aren't any leafs on the track etc. and threatens to flood the South with escaped Northerners.

Not if we use the criminals locked up in jails feeding of public money.

 

[Trader333]

...and threatens to flood the South with escaped Northerners.

Northerners don't escape to the South, they invade it

 

[Atilla]

Interesting article :idea:

https://www.share.com/markets-and-news/news-and-reports/news-article-thought-for-the-day/

Extract
And let me ask a question. Why is it that so many large British based manufacturing companies seem be so much more efficient when they are not British owned? I gather that the Nissan plant in Sunderland is one of the most efficient, if not the most efficient, car plant in the world. Why wasn’t it like that when British-owned companies ran car manufacturing plants? It is hard to escape the conclusion that it was to down to senior management. Maybe the unions of the 1970s, with their militancy, had a point. Or maybe it was the unions that prevented the car plants from working efficiently back then.

 

[Pat494]

Interesting article :idea:

https://www.share.com/markets-and-news/news-and-reports/news-article-thought-for-the-day/

Extract
And let me ask a question. Why is it that so many large British based manufacturing companies seem be so much more efficient when they are not British owned? I gather that the Nissan plant in Sunderland is one of the most efficient, if not the most efficient, car plant in the world. Why wasn’t it like that when British-owned companies ran car manufacturing plants? It is hard to escape the conclusion that it was to down to senior management. Maybe the unions of the 1970s, with their militancy, had a point. Or maybe it was the unions that prevented the car plants from working efficiently back then.

Stroppy workers and greedy incompetent management imho
Not really a great combi for success.

 

[Splitlink]

Stroppy workers and greedy incompetent management imho
Not really a great combi for success.

You are talking about manufacturing companies but what is the opinion on service companies? Water and energy companies seem to be dishing out some good dividends. Should they be privatised? Are prices justified to the extent that lots cannot afford to heat their homes? Will foreign owners pay attention to our interests?

Transport companies charge horrendous prices in London and, I suppose, elsewhere in the UK. In Barcelona, a train fare carries a fixed price of 2 euros and one can transfer from metro to bus for that, provided that you are going in the same direction. As soon as one heads back he has to pay again.

A 10 ride ticket costs about 9 euros, ie less that 1 euro., I think. I, as a pensioner over a minimum income, get mine for 3.75 euros and a pensioner below minimum is free.

 

[Pat494]

You are talking about manufacturing companies but what is the opinion on service companies? Water and energy companies seem to be dishing out some good dividends. Should they be privatised? Are prices justified to the extent that lots cannot afford to heat their homes? Will foreign owners pay attention to our interests?

Transport companies charge horrendous prices in London and, I suppose, elsewhere in the UK. In Barcelona, a train fare carries a fixed price of 2 euros and one can transfer from metro to bus for that, provided that you are going in the same direction. As soon as one heads back he has to pay again.

A 10 ride ticket costs about 9 euros, ie less that 1 euro., I think. I, as a pensioner over a minimum income, get mine for 3.75 euros and a pensioner below minimum is free.

Whoa there El Splitto
You might cause a tsunami type rush of wrinklies over to Spain if you point out those sort of attractions. A big loss to Butlins too.

 

[neil]

On the other side -greener?

You are talking about manufacturing companies but what is the opinion on service companies? Water and energy companies seem to be dishing out some good dividends. Should they be privatised? Are prices justified to the extent that lots cannot afford to heat their homes? Will foreign owners pay attention to our interests?

Transport companies charge horrendous prices in London and, I suppose, elsewhere in the UK. In Barcelona, a train fare carries a fixed price of 2 euros and one can transfer from metro to bus for that, provided that you are going in the same direction. As soon as one heads back he has to pay again.

A 10 ride ticket costs about 9 euros, ie less that 1 euro., I think. I, as a pensioner over a minimum income, get mine for 3.75 euros and a pensioner below minimum is free.

Between preparing the dining room for painting and listening for the PC price alarm, I read the above post. Sometimes I wonder if a retired couple would be better off living in France, Italy or Spain where the sun shines more frequently and the media don't regard the retired as pampered aliens. Oh well - back to the sandpaper

 

[Splitlink]

Between preparing the dining room for painting and listening for the PC price alarm, I read the above post. Sometimes I wonder if a retired couple would be better off living in France, Italy or Spain where the sun shines more frequently and the media don't regard the retired as pampered aliens. Oh well - back to the sandpaper

I think that pensioners might miss family and friends. It means a lot in old age. Sun and warmth means that one can live a lot cheaper but not speaking the language is a big drawback. I am very wary of recommending a foreign language country to British pensioners. I've seen too many pack up and go home and moving back is a very expensive process, too.

 

[sonofcablemonster]

I wonder if BBMAC is going to return. I dedicate this following song to BBMAC. Return of the Mack.

 

[neil]

I think that pensioners might miss family and friends. It means a lot in old age. Sun and warmth means that one can live a lot cheaper but not speaking the language is a big drawback. I am very wary of recommending a foreign language country to British pensioners. I've seen too many pack up and go home and moving back is a very expensive process, too.

Split
Agreed. On a serious note there are some very cheap deals for a month etc in warmer climes (Malta for example). Thats the safer way to go -best of both worlds.
You may remember -years ago (ahem)- long stay winter holidays were advertised a lot in the UK. One doesn't see them advertised in any quantity these days?

 

[Pat494]

I am glad that there are some happy with the country in the sun like Split but imho it is a easier bet to have a sun loggia built onto one's house here in the UK. I think he said he has been there for many years to acclimatise. It was 85 degrees here this afternoon in ours.

When you are retired one has to plan for not too much hassle imho. Even travelling from loo to loo may become a necessity.

 

[neil]

age and decline

I am glad that there are some happy with the country in the sun like Split but imho it is a easier bet to have a sun loggia built onto one's house here in the UK. I think he said he has been there for many years to acclimatise. It was 85 degrees here this afternoon in ours.

When you are retired one has to plan for not too much hassle imho. Even travelling from loo to loo may become a necessity.

Did the Fire Brigade arrive in time?
That will stop you smoking on your commode

 

[Splitlink]

Split
Agreed. On a serious note there are some very cheap deals for a month etc in warmer climes (Malta for example). Thats the safer way to go -best of both worlds.
You may remember -years ago (ahem)- long stay winter holidays were advertised a lot in the UK. One doesn't see them advertised in any quantity these days?

Ah, yes! Holidays are different!

 

[China Diapers]

Wow, just came across this thread and read it from start to finish. Enlightening.