Today Government struck a blow at the heart of Southern England. They decided to end shipbuilding in Portsmouth and transfer all of it - even the existing work on two new aircraft carriers already being undertaken in Pompey - to Clydeside. In interview after interview on TV, Government spokesmen have been declaring that there is nothing political about this. Nothing at all to with the Independence vote in Scotland next year. All decided entirely on commercial criteria.
Naturally the BBC joins in the discussion. In one of their typically balanced pieces on Newsnight they had a Scots woman interviewer (you probably know her - she is, as a newsreader, a 'celebrity') interviewing a member of the Scottish Parliament, and the Government's Scottish Secretary. Where were the Portsmouth MPs? No doubt the Beeb tried to find them and failed. But local TV found them, and found them and everyone else they interviewed incredibly angry - angry not just at the loss of jobs, but at the cynicism of politicians who assert that these closures have no political motives. Yet after all this David Cameron is still surprised to learn that he might lose Tory seats at the next election because of the influence of UKIP! Perhaps he should move the referendum vote from the Anniversary of Bannockburn to that of Preston Pans - oh, but of course,that is not his decision, that was left to nice Mr Salmond.
I very much like the new look blog.
ReplyDeleteRe Portsmouth, it has been said that there are liars, damn liars and then there are politicians.
Re the beeb, many years ago our tour guide in the then Soviet Union introduced us to the saying "there is no news in the truth and no truth in the news." A reference to the two party papers Pravda (truth) and Izvestia (news). Seems an apt description.
I believe this to be an utter disgrace. Portsmouth has a history of ship building going back to Henry VII. I feel so sorry for all those craftsmen of Portsmouth and Gosport who will be losing their jobs and for the ship building industry who will be losing their skills. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a cynical decision to try and appease the Scottish folk and to persuade them to vote to stay in the UK and not to seek independence. I hope that the voters of Portsmouth North will show their contempt for this by voting out the Conservatives come the next election
ReplyDeleteShould be Henry VIII.....can't type!
DeleteI think you were right first time with Henry VII: but even before that I undrstand there was shipbulding (for King John).
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