The Good News thread, local jobs, economy etc

[Zingari]

More solid, workable common sense ideas from the Tories as they seek to rid our society of the awful, horribly cynical 'cash for votes' hand outs culture of the previous regime. Incentivising businesses to pay more than minimum wage while cutting hand outs. Attacking it from both directions. I like it a lot. Soon even the philpotts of this world might be tempted to put in a few shifts of work, and that will mean a lower welfare bill and an even more booming economy for us all to enjoy.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23934721

jam tomorrow eh ?

 

But a Downing Street source told Newsnight that a policy change "remains a long way off" and that "it may be more likely as a contender for the Tories' next manifesto".

[MooseBreath]

jam tomorrow eh ?

But a Downing Street source told Newsnight that a policy change "remains a long way off" and that "it may be more likely as a contender for the Tories' next manifesto".

Yes indeed, but it remains that these small ideas show the right kind of thinking, a sign that the government are serious about pushing through a return to some kind of normality, where those who contribute little get little in return, and those who work get rewarded. Just in these little ideas I see more value and more benefit for all than I see in anything Labour have said or done in years.

[Zingari]

Yes indeed, but it remains that these small ideas show the right kind of thinking, a sign that the government are serious about pushing through a return to some kind of normality, where those who contribute little get little in return, and those who work get rewarded. Just in these little ideas I see more value and more benefit for all than I see in anything Labour have said or done in years.

you seem a lovely bloke moosey and i'm sure you mean well   but  they just spout this stuff every now and again to keep the idiots believing they actually give a fook about us .It's all hot air and windbaggery.

No-one will remember they come out with this shite in 2 or 3 years time and if they do "Circumstances will have changed" ... " we still  can't do that now, the world is a different place "   

 

When you reach my age you can see bullshit coming from the minute it leaves a bovine arse , you don't need to actually swallow it first ,

[Rincewind]

You can fool all the people....

 

Nah can't be bothered.

 

{)

[MooseBreath]

you seem a lovely bloke moosey and i'm sure you mean well but they just spout this stuff every now and again to keep the idiots believing they actually give a fook about us .It's all hot air and windbaggery.

No-one will remember they come out with this shite in 2 or 3 years time and if they do "Circumstances will have changed" ... " we still can't do that now, the world is a different place "

When you reach my age you can see bullshit coming from the minute it leaves a bovine arse , you don't need to actually swallow it first ,

I'm sure you probably said the same thing about the raising of the tax free allowance, which was another measure aimed at helping out the lower paid and making work pay. Yet that went through and millions are better off for it.

[Rincewind]

Media Training School at Radio Leicester today. Subject of today's talk social media networks, Twitter, Facebook etc. The dos and dont's.

Great opportunity for those studding or those that want to learn more. Full schedule here

 

More good news here

[Guest MattP]

http://news.sky.com/story/1135928/maths-english-pupils-must-master-core-gcses

 

A great idea and one that will chill the Labour party to it's bones.

 

No person in this country should be leaving without basic English and Maths skills. About time it was rectified.

[Zingari]

http://news.sky.com/story/1135928/maths-english-pupils-must-master-core-gcses

 

A great idea and one that will chill the Labour party to it's bones.

 

No person in this country should be leaving without basic English and Maths skills. About time it was rectified.

great news !

does this mean we can stay at school til we retire?

[davieG]

If they've not learnt by the age of 16 it seems to me they either haven't got the aptitude or the attitude to do so and no amount of enforcement will change that in most cases.

[Guest MattP]

great news !

does this mean we can stay at school til we retire?

 

Don't give Rincewind ideas.

[purpleronnie]

Biggest UK factory boom for 19 years: Huge rise in manufacturing orders and output while retail sales are also on the increase

• Retail sales in August up 3.6 per cent on same month last year
• Rise in sales of furniture and flooring linked to housing market recovery
• Manufacturers report biggest rise in new orders and output since 1994

By Sean Poulter, Consumer Affairs Editor

PUBLISHED:22:48, 2 September 2013| UPDATED:22:48, 2 September 2013 

 

High Street sales are rising and UK factories are seeing the biggest boom in almost 20 years.

Retail sales in August were up by 3.6 per cent on the same month last year, driven by purchases of furniture and flooring linked to the housing market recovery.

Separately, manufacturers reported the biggest rise in new orders and output since 1994, prompting claims that ‘UK factories are booming again’.

 

Retail sales in August were up by 3.6 per cent on the same month last year, according to latest figures

 

The figures confirm that Britain’s economic recovery establishing itself after more than five years of hard times, triggered by the banking crisis.

The retail figures were published by the British Retail Consortium, whose director general Helen Dickinson said: ‘These are very encouraging figures which maintain the sense that a consumer-led recovery is tentatively taking shape.

 

 

More...

• Small firms 'starved' of funds after CUT in loans from Osborne's flagship Funding for Lending scheme
• 'I'm not the saviour of the high street': 'Queen of Shops' Mary Portas hits back at 'bashing' of her retail review

 

‘Taken hand-in-hand with a recent uptick in consumer confidence, the signs are that many of us are feeling a little more positive about the economic outlook and responding well to good deals and new autumn collections alike.’

David McCorquodale, head of retail at accountants KPMG, said: ‘After suffering from some of the worst sales on record last year, furniture and flooring sales rebounded this month.

‘If sales continue in this vein we should be optimistic that retailers will enjoy a reasonably healthy Christmas.’

 

Manufacturers reported the biggest rise in new orders and output since 1994 (file picture)

 

The boom in retail sales has been driven by purchases of furniture and flooring linked to the housing market recovery

 

There has been concern that the recent positive economic news has been driven by debt as consumers borrow more to fund their lifestyles.

However, the positive news from manufacturers would suggest there is a real shift in wealth creation away from the services sector, which includes hotels and restaurants, to solid exports.

The Purchasing Managers’ Index, a survey of manufacturers, jumped to 57.2 last month from 54.8 in July, which represents the fifth straight month of expansion.

The recovery was driven by the fastest rise in both new orders and output since 1994. Stronger demand was reported from countries including the US, China and Europe.

Rob Dobson, a senior economist at Markit, which co-authored index, said: ‘The UK’s factories are booming again.

‘Manufacturing is clearly making a strong positive contribution to the economy, providing welcome evidence that the long-awaited rebalancing of the economy towards manufacturing and exports is at last starting to take place.’

Nida Ali, economic adviser to the EY ITEM Club, said: ‘The recovery in manufacturing now appears to be entrenched.

She added that the UK’s Gross Domestic Product measure of economic output is now expected to rise by more than 1 per cent in 2013.

 

[Zingari]

I love the way newspapers make their point about booming sales and industry by showing a busy shopping street , a bloke in a garage welding , and a woman in a DIY shop looking lost 

 

Some good news though

 

Although I don't really see any tangible evidence of it if I'm being honest .

[MooseBreath]

I love the way newspapers make their point about booming sales and industry by showing a busy shopping street , a bloke in a garage welding , and a woman in a DIY shop looking lost

Some good news though

Although I don't really see any tangible evidence of it if I'm being honest .

What are you expecting, homeless people smoking their crack through a diamond studded gold pipe?

Increased retail sales is in itself tangible evidence of improved economic conditions. For more evidence go on a jobs site and search for recruitment consultant vacancies. The job agencies are overloaded with work and need lots of new people to help dish it all out.

Edited 3 September 2013 by MooseBreath

[Zingari]

What are you expecting, homeless people smoking their crack through a diamond studded gold pipe?

Increased retail sales is in itself tangible evidence of improved economic conditions. For more evidence go on a jobs site and search for recruitment consultant vacancies. The job agencies are overloaded with work and need lots of new people to help dish it all out.

I wonder why ?

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/sep/02/agency-workers-paid-less-tuc

[Rincewind]

Moose do you know the definition of homeless?

 

Even with constant prompting you are unable to grasp the concept of Googling and research on the subject. I pity you and those like you.

Edited 3 September 2013 by Rincewind

[Rincewind]

I wonder why ?

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/sep/02/agency-workers-paid-less-tuc

Zingarii it's from the Guardian so it will be dismissed as leftie propaganda lies.

[Guest MattP]

Moose do you know the definition of homeless?

 

Is it when someone has exausted all resources and is reduced to the insane condition of toting a small travel bag, aimlessly riding buses, selling plasma, nodding-out in public libraries, making aimless noises, standing in welfare lines, eating in soup kitchens, walking in a dream, sleeping in shelters and parks, worrying about the next fix, and knowing that going to jail is a step up on the social ladder?

Edited 3 September 2013 by MattP

[Rincewind]

Is it when someone has exausted all resources and is a victim of domestic violence, suffered a mental breakdown invalided from the armed forces, victim of child abuse, sofa surfing, living in an hostel, living in a B&B paid for by the benefit system,, an OAP suffering from depression after the loss of a spouse, a teenager thrown out by parents,, reduced to the insane condition of toting a small travel bag, aimlessly riding buses, selling plasma, nodding-out in public libraries, making aimless noises, standing in welfare lines, eating in soup kitchens, walking in a dream, sleeping in shelters and parks, worrying about the next fix, and knowing that going to jail is a step up on the social ladder?

I think you have misquoted me in your sig.

Edited 3 September 2013 by Rincewind

[Guest MattP]

I love the way newspapers make their point about booming sales and industry by showing a busy shopping street , a bloke in a garage welding , and a woman in a DIY shop looking lost 

 

Some good news though

 

Although I don't really see any tangible evidence of it if I'm being honest .

 

I don't think you want to to be honest.

 

The country is recovering, there is no doubt about that, can see it everything personally from the amount of jobs available to how busy the pubs and shops etc are again to a couple of years ago.

[Zingari]

I don't think you want to to be honest.

 

The country is recovering, there is no doubt about that, can see it everything personally from the amount of jobs available to how busy the pubs and shops etc are again to a couple of years ago.

Of course i want to see improvements , but look around most city centres and you'll still see lots of empty shops and closed pubs .

 

The pubs might be busier , but only because so many have shut down in the last few years. 

[Smudge]

Of course i want to see improvements , but look around most city centres and you'll still see lots of empty shops and closed pubs .

 

The pubs might be busier , but only because so many have shut down in the last few years. 

Why would anyone want to go into the bricks and mortar retail business? Paying huge rents for high street locations, hiring staff for a 7 days a week, only to be outsold by Amazon or the like.

 

In my opinion the landlords of these shops need to start being a lot more creative. Such as, and I mentioned this before, converting those upper floors to apartments and creating a small cafe and boutique environment at street level. That will bring people into town by virtue of living there. The fruit, meat and fish market are close by, leastways they used to be, with ideal shops all around for other consumables.

[The People's Hero]

I'd say there's a got opportunity there to be writing unoccupied property risks...

[Zingari]

Why would anyone want to go into the bricks and mortar retail business? Paying huge rents for high street locations, hiring staff for a 7 days a week, only to be outsold by Amazon or the like.

 

In my opinion the landlords of these shops need to start being a lot more creative. Such as, and I mentioned this before, converting those upper floors to apartments and creating a small cafe and boutique environment at street level. That will bring people into town by virtue of living there. The fruit, meat and fish market are close by, leastways they used to be, with ideal shops all around for other consumables.

Yes I'm sure the owners of the property can diversify, what I'm saying is the retailers themselves have all but gone.

It's like saying that converting old factories into flats is somehow compensating for the loss of manufacturing jobs.

 

Sorry, but although I'm pleased with any sort of improvement , I don't actually feel like doing cartwheels just because the latest figures show a slight improvement.

All around me I still see friends relatives etc still losing jobs , or in fear of it , or having to take jobs with less pay.I still see shops pubs struggling 

 

I'm saying what I'm seeing , not what i'm being told to see.   

[purpleronnie]

Yes I'm sure the owners of the property can diversify, what I'm saying is the retailers themselves have all but gone.

It's like saying that converting old factories into flats is somehow compensating for the loss of manufacturing jobs.

 

Sorry, but although I'm pleased with any sort of improvement , I don't actually feel like doing cartwheels just because the latest figures show a slight improvement.

All around me I still see friends relatives etc still losing jobs , or in fear of it , or having to take jobs with less pay.I still see shops pubs struggling 

 

I'm saying what I'm seeing , not what i'm being told to see.    :)My relatives

 

My brother in law was offered two jobs, my niece who was a barmaid was offered jobs at 2 different banks, better money better opportunities.

 

I'm only saying what I'm seeing, not what I'm told to see.

 

But i'm being facetious, of course there will be people losing jobs that happens even in the best of times, the fact is the economy has been on its knees for so long things don't vastly improve overnight, we have had small improvements now continuing for a while its pretty much the best we can hope for, we are actually improving faster than some other nation economies including the US.

 

No need for cartwheels but its better than its been for a while.

Edited 6 September 2013 by purpleronnie

[Zingari]

My brother in law was offered two jobs, my niece who was a barmaid was offered jobs at 2 different banks, better money better opportunities.

 

I'm only saying what I'm seeing, not what I'm told to see.

 

But i'm being facetious, of course there will be people losing jobs that happens even in the best of times, the fact is the economy has been on its knees for so long things don't vastly improve overnight, we have had small improvements now continuing for a while its pretty much the best we can hope for, we are actually improving faster than some other nation economies including the US.

 

No need for cartwheels but its better than its been for a while.

yes you're right of course, our own personal lives and surroundings are going to influence how we perceive things.

For what it's worth though , I think we are still in a very very fragile situation , and I think we are heading for  some industrial action which will knock us back down. (Or at least that will take the blame)

Someone informed in financial matters explained to me the other day ( in very simple terms I might add) that UK is in debt to an amount that is equal to 9 times the value of the whole economy . No nation has ever recovered from such a position before a total financial meltdown.

(edit he said we are too dependent on low interest rates and a significant increase could be catastrophic)

 

Flippin heck I do sound gloomy sometimes 

Edited 6 September 2013 by Zingari