The UK Politics & Brexit Thread

[MikeInWimbledon]

In my experience too.

My ex-employer was routinely in competition with a German company to supply particular Special Purpose machinery and in much of the Middle East it was always made clear that there was absolutely no chance of securing a sale without "greasing palms". We would always refuse to do so and invariably the response was, "Why not? The German's will", and we always lost the sale to them. I found it odd how our German competitor, who operated under the German equivalent of the Bribery Act, could do that with impunity while we would have ended up in jail

That would be because we are English and have a serious case of the tabloids.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Isn't that how it spiralled out of control in the first place? Incompetent politicians asking consultants to do the wrong thing and the consultants faithfully doing it?

Was it ? Or was it like the NHS where so much time is spent disagreeing what to do and in what order, that the whole thing spirals out of control?

 

[st13phil]

That would be because we are English and have a serious case of the tabloids.

Interestingly, we were taken over by an Italian company and their business ethics were just as strict. They were the global leader for this particular type of machinery and would lose sales to the same German competitor in those markets as they wouldn't "grease palms" either.

 

[st13phil]

Or was it like the NHS where so much time is spent disagreeing what to do and in what order, that the whole thing spirals out of control?

In fairness, from all that I've read about the disastrous HS2 project the problems started with over-specification (due to the politicians' mandating that trains had to run at very high speeds) which compromised the route options, and then were compounded by arguments over what to do and in what order, plus enormously expensive mitigation for the disturbed newts/hedgehogs/residents in AONB locations etc.

Meanwhile, the consultants' meters tick away

 

[TC350]

Meanwhile, the consultants' meters tick away

The last ten years of my career was working for a consultancy company that operated all around the world. When we tried to suggest to potential clients that there was a better way to tackle something, we rarely got the contract. People don’t like being told that their ideas aren’t the best.

 

[Harrythedog]

I'm not sure this is the "good news" that Transport Secretary Louise Haigh obviously believes the public will think it is:

HS2: Ministers to oversee build as costs 'spiral'

The transport secretary also commissions a new independent review of the high-speed rail project.

www.bbc.co.uk

Why does the sentence, "Ministers are to take a direct role in overseeing the building of the HS2 rail line to try to "get a grip" on the rising cost of the high speed route between London and Birmingham." fill me with dread?

Frankly, I can only see the overspend becoming even more astronomical, and the completion date drifting out even further.

I hope they don't use the same advisors as the Unite Union used in building their hotel.

Serious Fraud Office probe £112m Unite union hotel Serious Fraud Office probe £112m Unite union hotel

It’s going to be interesting to see where the money went, are there a lot of motor homes in the Midlands?

 

[markjay]

I hope they don't use the same advisors as the Unite Union used in building their hotel.

Serious Fraud Office probe £112m Unite union hotel Serious Fraud Office probe £112m Unite union hotel

It’s going to be interesting to see where the money went, are there a lot of motor homes in the Midlands?

Good job that we got rid of the 'corrupt' Tories....

 

[Darrell]

I hope they don't use the same advisors as the Unite Union used in building their hotel.

Serious Fraud Office probe £112m Unite union hotel Serious Fraud Office probe £112m Unite union hotel

It’s going to be interesting to see where the money went, are there a lot of motor homes in the Midlands?

£112 million spent with the building now valued at £29 million.

Has £83 million disappeared into this black hole we keep hearing about??

 

[markjay]

£112 million spent with the building now valued at £29 million.

Has £83 million disappeared into this black hole we keep hearing about??

You must keep up with science!

What happens when two supermassive black holes merge?

What happens when two supermassive black holes merge?

www.esa.int

 

[Darrell]

I hope they don't use the same advisors as the Unite Union used in building their hotel.

Serious Fraud Office probe £112m Unite union hotel Serious Fraud Office probe £112m Unite union hotel

It’s going to be interesting to see where the money went, are there a lot of motor homes in the Midlands?

Something else that tickled me in regards to this extraordinarily expensive building is that Unite is the Union for construction workers!! (So they like to say)

 

[m80]

I hope they don't use the same advisors as the Unite Union used in building their hotel.

Serious Fraud Office probe £112m Unite union hotel Serious Fraud Office probe £112m Unite union hotel

It’s going to be interesting to see where the money went, are there a lot of motor homes in the Midlands?

Being mobile, they were last seen heading up the M6, in convoy.

Can the SNP offer them refuge though?

 

[Darrell]

It’s going to be interesting to see where the money went, are there a lot of motor homes in the Midlands?

Doesn’t AlfaItalia flog motor homes? Hasn’t he just treated himself to a new Merc?

 

[st13phil]

When we tried to suggest to potential clients that there was a better way to tackle something, we rarely got the contract. People don’t like being told that their ideas aren’t the best.

I was fortunate enough to work with some exceptionally good consultants throughout my career (and a few that were less than stellar).

I always thought the key to getting the best from them was to be absolutely clear what your objectives were, and then listen to what they had to say, then engage and challenge to test whether their ideas would get you to your objectives in the best way or not. I took the view that if someone wasn’t prepared to believe the answer, there was no point in them asking the question.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Obviously Labour know how to “fix” Our Broken NHS.

To avoid the opinions of its 1,500,000 employees ….The NHS invited the general public to give their suggestions for improvement.

Here are a few….

 

[flying haggis]

In a similiar vein then, why not employ doctors receptionists as border force agents then no one would get in to the country!

 

[markjay]

The new government keeps telling us that the budget is good for 'working people'.

However, it's seems that they do not include in this definition tradesmen, shopkeepers, barbers, etc, who typically employ a small number of people? They'll get hammered by these new employment laws.

Seems that Labour isn't the party of the working people as such.... it's the party of the Unions. Everyone else then go and eff themselves.

 

[mattc]

Given it sprang from the union movement should we be surprised?

 

[m80]

Unite aren't yet accused of anything as I understand.
There are the occasional few £'s to be accounted for, about £14m.
There are suggestions that contracts were awarded during the building of the Aloft hotel+ that might be questionable.
Will the debts to be recovered turn out to be an 'alleged' way of laundering?

Will Unite have their credibility severely affected, as to how they deal with their members contributions? These members largely being Labour supporters I might imagine. How will this reflect on Labour?

If Unite look to be cited as a mafia type set up, how will Labour want to legislate unions to protect union members from abuse?

Will Labour call on itself and the more left leaning MP's to return donations from Unite?

Unite gives more than £500,000 to Labour MPs but shuns party HQ over Starmer

Union was largest backer under more left-wing leaders Corbyn and Miliband

www.ft.com

 

[190]

….The NHS invited the general public to give their suggestions for improvement.

I liked:

One participant blasted the health service for spending ‘between £13 and £40 million a year on diversity officers’, fuming that: ‘This waste needs to stop and the money used on patient care or nurses pay.’

and

The NHS needs to return to the sane and fundamental understanding of biological sex. Healthcare for women is not the same as healthcare for men. The NHS must stop promoting ideas such as drug-induced breastfeeding for men in order to satisfy male fetish, and focus on biological reality. Women struggle to get proper breastfeeding support so why would the NHS promote experimenting on babies in this way. It’s dangerous and frankly obscene.

 

[TC350]

The new government keeps telling us that the budget is good for 'working people'.

However, it's seems that they do not include in this definition tradesmen, shopkeepers, barbers, etc, who typically employ a small number of people? They'll get hammered by these new employment laws.

Seems that Labour isn't the party of the working people as such.... it's the party of the Unions. Everyone else then go and eff themselves.

Indeed. My wife is a hairdresser and used to own a smallish salon in Hampshire where she employed ten staff. The employment laws back then (15 years ago) were part of the reason she gave it up. For instance, when an employee takes maternity leave for a year the employer has to make a contribution to their statutory maternity pay - a bit of a PITA but something employers have to accept. Even though running a business with all youngish female staff increases the chances of this happening. A more onerous obligation on employers is having to give the new mother her job back if she wants to return within 1 year. Finding someone to cover the duties of a skilled member of staff for a strictly limited period is far from easy, and next to impossible for cover from within a small work force. On two occasions girls went off on maternity leave, only to tender their resignation literally days before their 12 months leave was due to end (so they could get their full maternity pay.) Plans for how to integrate them back into the business had to be thrown out. Appointments had to be cancelled.

Employee protection is essential, but there's no one-size-fits-all for how it's reasonably applied. My wife now works on her own, so no more acting as an unpaid tax collector for HMRC, no more concerns over HR issues, no more dealing with irate customers when a 19-year old stylist phones in at 1 minute to 9 on a Saturday morning to say that they're not feeling well. Life is so much easier now and there have been several sighs of relief when hearing about Labour's plans for changes to employment laws "to help working people."