UK Protests against foreign workers to spread

[minge tightly]

Gordo has, not for the first time in his Prime Ministerial career, put himself in a very awkward position.
He happily made the comments about 'British jobs for British workers', even though he knows in an era of globalisation that he is unable to keep to that boast, to score some cheap popularity.
Unfortunately for him, British workers have taken him at face value, although i'm sure they would have used a similar slogan anyway (It seems similar events and protests are happening across the developed world as our standard of living is threatened).
A year of strife beckons. It looks likely to be coming about quicker than expected though.

[omnipleasant]

Nah, I don't think it's anything to do with his comment.

[minge tightly]

No nor do I but the fact remains that Brown re-coined the phrase publically and as a 'promise' to British workers.
As such, he is now in a very awkward position. Such protests are only likely to increase across the country as more Brits are made redundant and look about them to see immigrants in employment that could be theirs.

[flatandy]

It's nothing to do with Brown's comment, directly. But his populist, borderline racist, use of BNP sloganeering, means that it's much harder for normal people to put up an argument against this kind of silly union posturing.

[omnipleasant]

Really Andy? Are you really finding it harder to argue against because of the comment?

Nah. If you want to make a political point about the comment being silly and populist, then it's fair enough to try and pretend it was significant, and I'm sure Cammers is penning his slogan...er... question for PMQs as we speak.

In reality, this would have happened regardless, and the government would have been blamed regardless.

[flatandy]

I'm finding that people listen even less than normal to the argument because they say "Well, even Gordon Brown said "British Jobs For British Workers, so why can't we have British Jobs For British Workers".

Of course it would have happened anyway. It just gives the stupid mob some weight to use against the government.

[cobblers]

I am surprised to see that a government putting the interests of its electorate before those of foreign nationals or companies is now 'borderline racist'.

All that money and wages will be leaving the economy, so I'm not sure it will help Britain out of a recession as someone said earlier.

[cobblers]

This is a gift to the BNP. I would have thought that's a whole town turned over to them.

[flatandy]

Jan 30, 2009 13:09:59 GMT @cobblers said:

I am surprised to see that a government putting the interests of its electorate before those of foreign nationals or companies is now 'borderline racist'.

All that money and wages will be leaving the economy, so I'm not sure it will help Britain out of a recession as someone said earlier.

Why should it help Britain out of a recession. They're a private company spending private money trying to make a profit. That's what happens in a market economy.

If they were funded by the government you'd have a case. But they're not.

And, of course, the 250 people living and working over here are going to be spending money over here, which does actually mean it helps the UK economy a bit.

But I really don't understand why Total should be obliged to try and help Britain out of recession, rather than just try and make money.

[yord]

coz theyre greedy and greedy people shouldnt make any money unless everyone does which sort of defeats the point of money really soooooo they should all be burnt at the stake after a fecking good dunking

[sweet soul]

yea its a gift to the BNP cobbs, even more so with it all happening on Gordons watch, and after his failure securing Brit jobs

[minge tightly]

'And, of course, the 250 people living and working over here are going to be spending money over here, which does actually mean it helps the UK economy a bit.'

The foreign workers are living in barges moored off Grimsby docks, so it's debateable how much money is being pumped into the Uk economy.

Probably something being pumped into the local prozzies...

[flatandy]

Not that that's relevent, still, because it's Total's job to make money, not Total's job to save the British economy.

It's mixed-headed thinking to assume that because the government are investing in fiscal stimulus, there's a responsibility on the businesses in the UK to do assist in any way.

[minge tightly]

Andy, while I fully understand the point you're making regarding Total, you might as well be pishing in the wind.
The first protectionist move has been made, rather unexpectedly but made nontheless, and the anger from the protestors is understandable (if misdirected). It's only going to ramp up from here

[yord]

its always been protectionist and always will be.Those protecting their wealth by stopping you from getting any. Give matches to the half wits and there'll be a fire.

[flatandy]

No protectionist move has been made, Minge. The worst that has happened is that the Moron Brown made a protectionist statement. But there's been no change in policy.

And there needs to be free trade and a basically free market and free movement of labour, because that's one of the major drivers of economic growth. Protectionism, unless very specifically targeted at vital strategic sectors, is almost always destructive.

[yord]

Free trade my arse , well free trade aslong as the government gets their bit for feck all

[minge tightly]

No protectionist move has been made by government Andy no, but this is the first demonstrable move toward protectionism from the workers of this country.

It will be a self-defeating move ultimately if it snowballs into policy, but for each individual protesting it makes sense, even if it doesn't on the macro-economic level.

Suppose we have to ask ourselves whether Brown, Nu Labour and the economists have any leverage with the workforce anymore. If so, protectionism can be avoided. If not, and especially if the US & EU pre-empt it, we'll be deep in it

[flatandy]

If it happens (the US already has some protectionism and Obama has some protectionist rhetoric), it won't happen on a large scale in the UK. The left is now a liberal left - much less like the old reactionary union mob of the 70s - and will throw a hissy fit on the grounds of it being an anti-foreigner thing. The right, meanwhile, remains sufficiently dogmatically Thatcherite in the UK (in a way that the US stopped being when the religious right hijacked the Republican party from small-state Reaganites) that they can't visualise any solution to anything that isn't based on low tax, low interference, low regulation, etc.

There may be token gestures which actually have little impact - stuff on immigrants from outside the UK needing to be skilled, etc. But nobody will do anything about free trade and free movement of Labour within the member states of the EU.

[norfolkdumpling]

The only way to stop companies like Total bringing in their own workers is for the Government to insist only British tenders be allowed. It cannot do that because of the EU. As Total won the contract it is only natural for it to want to use its' own highly skilled workforce who all speak Italian. I imagine the managers are Italian so it would be awkward for them to use British labour. Another point to consider is that using British workers would raise the cost above that of the original tender.
I agree that it is wrong to allow foriegn companies to take away work from the British, but if the tenders were open to all, obviously foriegn companies are free to put in cheaper ones.