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If Labour had Nationalised.......

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Ilovecheese Wed 28-Jul-21 15:13:48

Sheffield Forgemasters, as this Government has just done, how would that have been viewed?

I think they have done the right thing, I think our heavy industry should be supported and that our economy needs to be balanced between manufacturing and services, not biased towards services as it is now.
But this is rather an unusual move for a Conservative Government to make, although it has nationalised the railways already (and nobody mentioned curly sandwiches!).

I know that several Gransnetters disliked the idea of Nationalisation when it was in a Labour manifesto, is this different because the Conservatives have done it? or have the Conservatives taken the wrong action?

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MaizieD Wed 28-Jul-21 15:28:01

This is really an instance of what I have said on another thread this morning. Labour is demonised for policies, but if they kept quiet and just did it, no-one would turn a hair.

I'm pleased that Forgemasters has been saved. I lived in South Yorkshire when Thatcher was starting her clearout of British industry. It wasn't pleasant.

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Dinahmo Wed 28-Jul-21 15:29:04

It's a very good idea and yes, because it's been done by a Tory govt many Tories will support it. Personally, I think it's a much better use of money to support a British company/industry rather than dole out billions to the likes of Nissan, a foreign company, to keep jobs going. On that subject, I'd like to know what's happened to the vaunted support for green industries.

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growstuff Wed 28-Jul-21 15:31:14

I think it's a sensible move whoever has been responsible. It's a bit weird though. Among the Tories' first acts after taking power in 2010 was to scrap an £80m loan to Forgemasters, which Labour had approved. I wonder what the government intends to do about the supply of steel.

The cynic in me tells me it's a ploy to outflank Labour.

Ownership of the railways is a classic A level economics topic. The devil will be in the detail about the latest nationalisation. Network Rail was already nationalised and arguably that's where the problems over the last two decades have been. The infrastructure needs investment (and not just HS2) - let's see if that happens.

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