Who has a degree and doesn't use for their job?

[Spanner Man]

Originally Posted by Pedrosa

That FS is a particularly jaundiced and uneducated comment based on no real understanding of the economic and political climate of the time. Yes there were employment related issues,but to use such a blanket statement is for me simply wrong.

Perhaps reassesing where you gather your biased information from,might swerve you well, when outside of a Tory conference.

I couldn't have put it better myself!

Perhaps FS that should have read resentful blue collar slobs, instead of slob...........Tory boy can't spell either!

G2D you at one stage looked at my world, How come you backed out. No degree's needed [my engineer is trained as a chef] My last job as engineer I was on about 13 K on a boat and it was not a big one.[70 mtr] I have no degree and had a app in train fixing, We need an extra 400 engineers now and they can be any one, just a bit of tech brain power is needed. The companies down here raid the RN for them.

I'm tempted again! I just bought in to the belief it was too good to be true! I may call over in summer

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by Spanner Man

.... Of course it wasn't Maggies fault, like it wasn't her Government that started the trend for reducing income tax back in 1979, & hence the introduction of 'stealth taxes'.

What's wrong with reduced income tax? I prefer to take the money I earn home with me to spend as I see fit. Check your facts, when the tories left power, the tax take in this county was around 41% of GDP, one of the lowest in Europe. The introduction of 'stealth taxes' is entirely a Labour device after Tony's pledge not to increase income tax - so they tax everything else instead. The tax take under Labour has risen to around 44% of GDP, one of the highest in Europe.

Originally Posted by Spanner Man

1979 also coincided with the near doubling of VAT, which was supposed to be a tax on luxuries, & has since crept into almost everything we purchase....I could go on!

The VAT increase was forced on us as a harmonisation of VAT accross the EU. It was the Maggie that negotiated the huge 'tax rebate' from the EU in return. It is Tony and his Labour numbnuts trying to give that back to the EU.


I have no affiliation to any political party, but it really hacks me off when folks blame everything on a prime minister who has been out of office 17 years and a party that has been out of office for 10.

The current state of the British economy can be laid squarely at the door of the current government. They have had 10 years to sort out any problems in manufacturing and the rest of the economy.

The same can be said of University funding. They have had 10 years to sort it out. Instead they more than anyone else are sending the message that University is for all, no matter what your academic ability. Hence the proliferation of pointless courses. They are also promoting the idea that it is OK to go into debt, because most students have to borrow to fund thier studies.

If they provided full grants for 'proper' degrees and funded the Universities accordingly, we would have a pool of high calibre graduates every year, not a raft of 'media studies' muppets who think they are owed a living. Universities are meant to be elitist - it's University FFS where the best academically able go to further thier studies. It is not general education, it is higher education. University should be open to all, regardless of colour, creed or social background as long as they have the academic ability to perform at the level expected of a quality graduate. Student maintenance grants and central funding for Universities would help achieve this.

Its not easy as they say, You do get some bad boats, But some are dead easy. Had one which went to sea for 2 weeks a year. The rest was relax and take time off. I went all over europe [by plane] I have changed over to captain now. You have to do some exams [1 week] as you move up. I have found most of the rest of the crew dont like the engineers because we earn more and get there faster than any one.
My engineer earns 2 times the 1st mate.
engineer 1st job as such.
1st mate 14 years at it.
the engineer will be on about 8/10 k a month in the hand by 5 years

[Spanner Man]

Did I get a bullseye with that one Luckypants!

When one takes a swipe at Maggies government, it relates to the fact that it was under her government that the greatest changes occured in our society. Namely the undermining of good old social values, & the creation of an everyman for himself society!

Her government conveniently unburdened itself of several responsibilities including; Social housing, & the utilities. And look what a mess they're both in now! & where did the money saved go?.....That along with a considerable amount of North sea oil revenue has not really been accounted for. Rather leading one to the conclusion that they made a right b@lls up of things....Good riddance to the old Bag.
John Majors lot were better, it's a shame that they didn't get a second term, then we might not have got the ****s who are sodding things up now.

Taking away any economical issues,for which an equally damning or complimentary argument can be presented for the Thatcher years; there is the manifestation today of all that the policies and attitudes of the Iron lady's administration promoted in society.


Sefishness and personal greed was encouraged in a manner never seen before. It was "everyone for themselves" and the sense of society in general had no value. An era that spawned the "yuppy" motivated by personal gain.

It is those people who have produced the youth of today,who have inherited from their parents an attitiude of "the devil take the hindmost" and that has been identified as producing as a result the kind of levels of bullying and aggresion that we all despair of now.

In short yes, The Thatcher years corrected many an economical fault and the country in general terms became stronger. There were though painful periods of boom and bust, sky high interest rates and on the face of it those "with" benefitting way above those who were "without" But there were many basic values that got left behind,all of which fuelled the moral decline of the Britain of today.

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by Spanner Man

Did I get a bullseye with that one Luckypants!

When one takes a swipe at Maggies government, it relates to the fact that it was under her government that the greatest changes occured in our society. Namely the undermining of good old social values, & the creation of an everyman for himself society!

That is true I agree. BUT that is not what you said in your earlier post(s) so you are conveniently shifting the argument away from the area where you started it. You were talking about tax.

Originally Posted by Spanner Man

Her government conveniently unburdened itself of several responsibilities including; Social housing, & the utilities. And look what a mess they're both in now! & where did the money saved go?.....

Totally agree, but if Labour was so violently opposed to these policies, they could have re-nationalised. IMHO money raised from selling council houses should have been ploughed into building more council houses and utilities such as water, gas, electricity etc should be nationlised. The problem then would be effective management. Having worked in electricity industry shortly after privatisation, the mentality of SOME of the ex-CEGB managers was staggering. Needless to say they got 'early retirement'.

Sorry, you got me on my soapbox now!

lots of people at the royal mail have good qualifications degree's etc but choose to sit the easy life where they are, its easy it pays well with full sick pay and other benefits so why struggle anywhere else?

Originally Posted by Luckypants

What's wrong with reduced income tax? I prefer to take the money I earn home with me to spend as I see fit. Check your facts, when the tories left power, the tax take in this county was around 41% of GDP, one of the lowest in Europe. The introduction of 'stealth taxes' is entirely a Labour device after Tony's pledge not to increase income tax - so they tax everything else instead. The tax take under Labour has risen to around 44% of GDP, one of the highest in Europe.



The VAT increase was forced on us as a harmonisation of VAT accross the EU. It was the Maggie that negotiated the huge 'tax rebate' from the EU in return. It is Tony and his Labour numbnuts trying to give that back to the EU.


I have no affiliation to any political party, but it really hacks me off when folks blame everything on a prime minister who has been out of office 17 years and a party that has been out of office for 10.

The current state of the British economy can be laid squarely at the door of the current government. They have had 10 years to sort out any problems in manufacturing and the rest of the economy.

The same can be said of University funding. They have had 10 years to sort it out. Instead they more than anyone else are sending the message that University is for all, no matter what your academic ability. Hence the proliferation of pointless courses. They are also promoting the idea that it is OK to go into debt, because most students have to borrow to fund thier studies.

If they provided full grants for 'proper' degrees and funded the Universities accordingly, we would have a pool of high calibre graduates every year, not a raft of 'media studies' muppets who think they are owed a living. Universities are meant to be elitist - it's University FFS where the best academically able go to further thier studies. It is not general education, it is higher education. University should be open to all, regardless of colour, creed or social background as long as they have the academic ability to perform at the level expected of a quality graduate. Student maintenance grants and central funding for Universities would help achieve this.

Well put