Comment on Transport Secretary Louise Haigh resigns after Sky News revealed mobile phone guilty plea

• HumanPenguin@feddit.uk ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Given the actions of said investor.

  When you’re trying to encourage businesses to grow in the UK

  It is sorta invalid when the company is working to fire UK workers and rehire foreign ones with fewer rights and lower costs.

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  • mannycalavera@feddit.uk ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I don’t disagree.

    But from the company in questions perspective why wouldn’t you turn around and say, “ok then this $1billion can go to Ireland or the Netherlands, see ya”. The UK government isn’t in a position to be shooing away business investment of that scale. That’s what almost happened before the UK government had to make grovelling apologies to said company. Hiring foreign workers over UK workers sucks, but you can’t ignore the huge investment that would benefit hundreds more.

    These are the kinds of macro chess games governments have to play. And this former minister hasn’t made it easy for them to play it.

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    • HumanPenguin@feddit.uk ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      huge investment that would benefit hundreds more.

      Will it. It’s a port. So employment opportunities long term are limited. Literally every job is likely to be replaced by engineering over a relatively short timespan. Jobs in ports are labour-intensive. So historically already many are replaced with machines. It is also the first jobs looked at with new tech. The few non-labour-intensive jobs are by nature AI suitable and already of huge interest to that community.

      There is a reason, a company with a history of downsizing or reducing the cost of employment is interested in such investments. Other than it also expanding the profitability of its other operations.

      As long as we as a nation allow the treat of other nations out bidding. It will always be a race to the bottom.

      Honestly, I am older than most here. In my 50s. And have watched how children born after me are given way less opportunity to build a life than I was. Despite seeing the same reduction over my parents. While housing is a huge part of it. The general fall in wages vs living costs is also way worse. And it can be clearly seen as a choice by our governments pressured by companies like this.

      At some point it is a requirement to say “NO”. Trading or investing in our nation is about more then taking profit. Its about working with us as a nation as well.

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      • mannycalavera@feddit.uk ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        I won’t comment on the quality of the jobs, I honestly don’t know enough about what happens in a port (apart from what happens in a dock town stays in a dock town 😘). But it was / is a billion of investment. That’s not chump change by any means. The UK can’t be turning its nose up at investment because of morals and a sense of duty. We don’t have the headroom to do so. We’re massively in debt. That’s just the reality.

        I totally get what you’re saying. But I still feel that a large part of this resignation storyline is because she rocked the boat.

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