Brown's Soviet Britain

[Lazy Lob]

Here I am try to start a new business and the local feckin council has taken 2 weeks to see me. But then I have to start the whole process again with 2 other of their departments. A disgrace.


January 25, 2009

‘Soviet’ Britain swells amid the recession

Abul Taher

PARTS of the United Kingdom have become so heavily dependent on government spending that the private sector is generating less than a third of the regional economy, a new analysis has found.

The study of “Soviet Britain” has found the government’s share of output and expenditure has now surged to more than 60% in some areas of England and over 70% elsewhere.

Experts believe the recession will tighten the state’s grip still further as benefit handouts soar and Labour directs public sector organisations to create jobs to soak up unemployment.

In the northeast of England the state is expected to be responsible for 66.4% of the economy this year, up from 58.7% when a similar study was carried out four years ago. When Labour came to power, the figure was 53.8%.

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The northwest has seen a similarly relentless advance by the state, according to the research commissioned by The Sunday Times from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR).

“Labour has failed to encourage private sector investment across the country. Instead of supporting enterprise and small businesses, Gordon Brown has used the public sector to cover up his failures,” said Theresa May, the shadow work and pensions secretary.

The CEBR reached its estimates for 2008-9 by applying the 6.68% state spending increase announced in November’s prebudget report evenly across the country, although in practice some regions will receive more than others.

Across the whole of the UK, 49% of the economy will consist of state spending, while in Wales, the figure will be 71.6% – up from 59% in 2004-5. Nowhere in mainland Britain, however, comes close to Northern Ireland, where the state is responsible for 77.6% of spending, despite the supposed resurgence of the economy after the end of the Troubles.

Even in southern England, the government’s share of spending is growing relentlessly. In the southeast, it has gone up from 33% to 36% of the economy in four years.

The state now looms far larger in many parts of Britain than it did in former Soviet satellite states such as Hungary and Slovakia as they emerged from communism in the 1990s, when state spending accounted for about 60% of their economies.

Large-scale layoffs in the northeast will mean a rise in benefit payments. Newcastle-based Northern Rock was nationalised last year and has shed 1,500 jobs. Nissan announced three weeks ago that it was to cut its workforce in Sunderland by 1,200.

Many are finding new jobs in the public sector, according to One North East, the state development agency.

One of the biggest public sector employers in the northeast is the Department of Work and Pensions, which employs 13,400 there, hundreds of them in jobcentres.

“It’s not that the public sector in the northeast is too big, it is that the private sector is too small,” said Malcolm Page, deputy chief executive of One North East. “The decline of traditional industries in the past means we need to establish more big private-sector companies in the region.”

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that since Labour came into power in 1997 jobs in the public sector have swelled by more than 500,000. In 1997, more than 5.1m people were employed in the public sector. The figure for 2008 is 5.7m.

However, Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, said that the state’s grip on the regions was likely to soften the impact of recession there.

“Newcastle and areas like that have a large public sector which will at least shield traditionally very depressed areas from the battering that southeast England is going to get.

“In the long term we need to do something about it. This does suggest the crowding-out phenomenon of the private sector and it also suggests there is a lack of entrepreneurial activity.”

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article5581225

[Codazo]

Poor Gordon sometimes I realy feel for him... every brit I know hates his guts big time, and I don't think half of the mess in UK is his fault.

[Blackcatnursery]

LazyLob;3868842] A disgrace.
Sadly it is

There is an army of people who just want to stop you doing anything in the UK. Just wait till you have to apply for planning permission to do anything relating to your business. I would like to take a very large wooden glasshouse down and replace it with a aluminium one. It occupies the same footprint and is the same size. Two years later they might give me permission to take it down but might not give me permission to put another one up. It has gone up in price £5K while we have been discussing it. I own the land, I just want to replace the existing building before it falls down.

An army of people on 'new deal', 'sickness' benefit' etc. some of them will never work in their life

Good luck with the business, don't let the no marks grind you down

Edit - Bring back national service

[California Joe]

Lazy, what kind of business?

Explain to me what they're saying about the system. When there are no jobs the Government creates a bunch of them? So you have massive amounts of Government expenditures for no gain at all?

It sounds like an episode of the Sopranos where they get all of their buddies "no show" jobs on construction sites in order to collect the salaries and union dues....:)

Blackcat, that sounds like the ultimate red tape clusterf*ck. Sorry to hear that.

[wotsnext]

Poor Gordon sometimes I realy feel for him... every brit I know hates his guts big time, and I don't think half of the mess in UK is his fault.
People have such short memories...:)

[Lazy Lob]

Sadly it is....

Good luck with the business, don't let the no marks grind you down

Edit - Bring back national service

Thank you. I find it incredible that with a shrinking tax base they are still trying to cripple start ups.

[Blackcatnursery]

I find it incredible that with a shrinking tax base they are still trying to cripple start ups.

They need a lesson in economics, but most of them have never run any business they just know how to milk them.
They are tying to cripple every business.
Did you see today where they have put up the court costs for going bankrupt, a master stroke.

[Blackcatnursery]

that sounds like the ultimate red tape clusterf*ck. Sorry to hear that.
Par for the course in the UK, you just get used to it, like dried rations.
But it just leaves a taste in your mouth for much much longer

[Lazy Lob]

Lazy, what kind of business?

I was made redundant last september. Instead of going on benefits I have been wracking my brains to get something going. The area I live in has very few prepared food outlets. In fact only 2 and one is a van and the other is shyte. There are approximately 35.000 people who are gagging for good quality, low cost prepared food. I can deliver. The local high street will be decimated in a couple of months with all the shops closing.

So putting all this together I have built a business plan that I'm the only fool who has faith in it. It may take some time to see the fruits of my labour but part of the plan is branching out into other areas by reinvesting back and taking very little out. I've done it before so now all I need is a bit of luck.

[California Joe]

Best wishes. It sounds like there is a real need for it. I hope it works out for you.

[Lazy Lob]

Thanks mate. Appreciate it.

[Blackcatnursery]

So putting all this together I have built a business plan that I'm the only fool who has faith in it. It may take some time to see the fruits of my labour but part of the plan is branching out into other areas by reinvesting back and taking very little out. I've done it before so now all I need is a bit of luck.

Good luck, good sound businesses started in a recession always do very well
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/images/icons/icon7.gif

[Flagg]

I was made redundant last september. Instead of going on benefits I have been wracking my brains to get something going. The area I live in has very few prepared food outlets. In fact only 2 and one is a van and the other is shyte. There are approximately 35.000 people who are gagging for good quality, low cost prepared food. I can deliver. The local high street will be decimated in a couple of months with all the shops closing.

So putting all this together I have built a business plan that I'm the only fool who has faith in it. It may take some time to see the fruits of my labour but part of the plan is branching out into other areas by reinvesting back and taking very little out. I've done it before so now all I need is a bit of luck.

From a fellow business owner....good luck!

[Flagg]

Thank you. I find it incredible that with a shrinking tax base they are still trying to cripple start ups.

Government that hinders or hurts small business is the economic equivalent of smoking three packs a day.....unfiltered.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

I was made redundant last september. Instead of going on benefits I have been wracking my brains to get something going. The area I live in has very few prepared food outlets. In fact only 2 and one is a van and the other is shyte. There are approximately 35.000 people who are gagging for good quality, low cost prepared food. I can deliver. The local high street will be decimated in a couple of months with all the shops closing.

So putting all this together I have built a business plan that I'm the only fool who has faith in it. It may take some time to see the fruits of my labour but part of the plan is branching out into other areas by reinvesting back and taking very little out. I've done it before so now all I need is a bit of luck.What part of the council is on the go slow planning or the EHO, planning is clusterf*ck in the UK full stop the EHO on the other hand is fairly easy to deal with.

[Lazy Lob]

Thanks for the words of encouragement lads.

EHO on Monday then she passes me onto planning and some other department. She took 5 days to return my original phone call and then promised many emails with all sorts of information in advance of tomorrow's visit. Have I received those emails? Like f@ck I have.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Thanks for the words of encouragement lads.

EHO on Monday then she passes me onto planning and some other department. She took 5 days to return my original phone call and then promised many emails with all sorts of information in advance of tomorrow's visit. Have I received those emails? Like f@ck I have.I usually chance my luck and walk in to the EHO's if I ever need anything even if I don't really know them that well. Just trust me on one thing here, make the EHO your best mate it will make your life easy and they can speed up things in other depts. Good luck Lazy.

[Lazy Lob]

My local council hates people showing up. I've tried it and always get the push off with some absurd excuse. If I need to shag the EHO I will. Thanks BP.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

My local council hates people showing up. I've tried it and always get the push off with some absurd excuse. If I need to shag the EHO I will. Thanks BP.My local council is not a great fan of walk in's but it catches them off guard and unsettles them for a bit, as long as your pleasant and coherent they really can't complain and as they will do anything to avoid a face to face you will find their response much faster in the future. Although spend is way down in pubs and restaurants the cheaper end of fast food is booming I know a chef who moved away from restaurants to open up a fish & chip shop and is now on his way to his third outlet all within the space of a year.

[Mousepad]

Huh, and I thought it's pain in the arse to open business in Russia, coz of our carefully upheld, notorious traditions.

Anyway, Good luck, comrade LazyLobskiy.

[badly_packed_kebab]

I feel for you all considering the hardship my parents went through to try and set up their own business (and ultimately fail). Heck, you cant even replace a garage thats full of damp and made of asbestos without the local council taking forever to decide upon it. Sometimes it seems that Broon and co. dont know what they are even doing.

As an aside, Britain PLC is essentially a business. If the people that are running the country were any good at running a business then they would have realised that they can make alot more money by setting up their own instead of being a politician. We've ended up with the monkeys that can't run a business in the top jobs and thats why we're in this recession because they have failed to regulate any of the banks or run the economy effectively.

[Deathchant]

Oh its so good to listen to a bit of council bashing you keep it up. A few years ago I had to go on the sick for a few months. I needed some help to pay my rent as sick pay was about £200 a month. Seeing as my share of the rent was £200 a month without bills or the luxuary of eating I thought I would go to the council and see if they could help me. After filling out a book of paperwork where I had to write the same thing over and over again just on a different page and many meetings where they said I was talking to the wrong person so sent me to another wrong person they kindly declined my offer. They then sent me a letter saying so. They also sent this letter once a month for about a year even though I had gone back to work. So if you need something doing good luck with that. Also I like the walk in and scare the **** out of them approach. It makes them panic.

[Blackcatnursery]

Thanks for the words of encouragement lads.



Just in case you have not seen this

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7848686.stm


You will also more than likely need a food hygiene certificate as well and public liability cover which is quite expensive

[philbob]

just out of curiosity how can the UK split up if they are all so tied in with this welfare state?

[0rphie]

My local council hates people showing up. I've tried it and always get the push off with some absurd excuse. If I need to shag the EHO I will. Thanks BP.
This sounds worse than DMV :) I wonder if UK will reach socialism faster than us. no that I wish any of us truly experience what Eastern Europe did

[a_very_ex_STAB]

just out of curiosity how can the UK split up if they are all so tied in with this welfare state?

It can't and it won't is the short answer.

[a_very_ex_STAB]

I was made redundant last september. Instead of going on benefits I have been wracking my brains to get something going. The area I live in has very few prepared food outlets. In fact only 2 and one is a van and the other is shyte. There are approximately 35.000 people who are gagging for good quality, low cost prepared food. I can deliver. The local high street will be decimated in a couple of months with all the shops closing.

So putting all this together I have built a business plan that I'm the only fool who has faith in it. It may take some time to see the fruits of my labour but part of the plan is branching out into other areas by reinvesting back and taking very little out. I've done it before so now all I need is a bit of luck.

Good luck LL. Don't let the bastards grind you down.

[albion]

Poor Gordon sometimes I realy feel for him... every brit I know hates his guts big time, and I don't think half of the mess in UK is his fault.

Gordon the gorgon is a good scapegoat, and has the sort of look of a man who picks his nose and eats it (but only after talking policy to the boogie). He is no friend of his nations servicemen or police and he needs to consider suicide as a good option in my honest cynical opinion. Mind you Gordon would probably get his suicide planning wrong and wake up with some other gormless idea to chuck at a once great nation. I hate him and all his labour government cronies. Maggie Thatcher is just resting......

[Midav]

Best of luck to you, Lazy! My brother owns his own business. Very rewarding. Hope you do well!!

[Lazy Lob]

Good luck LL. Don't let the bastards grind you down.

Thanks Stab, Midav and all of you for your kind words of support.

Anyway done and dusted. I had a long meeting with the food safety officer. We got one very well and I’ve got the green light. As the premises are provisional and with no modifications needed then planning doesn’t need to get involved. Accountants have given the all clear as well. If trade is above a certain minimum then I’ll move to a more permanent spot in the local industrial park.

Insurance getting back to me with a quote.

[a_very_ex_STAB]

Gordon the gorgon is a good scapegoat, and has the sort of look of a man who picks his nose and eats it (but only after talking policy to the boogie). He is no friend of his nations servicemen or police and he needs to consider suicide as a good option in my honest cynical opinion. Mind you Gordon would probably get his suicide planning wrong and wake up with some other gormless idea to chuck at a once great nation. I hate him and all his labour government cronies. Maggie Thatcher is just resting......

The Labour Party is 'the enemy within'
When the Ceaucescu moment comes in the UK Brown, Bliar and Harman should be the first up against a wall.