The Politics Thread

[faraway saint]

Shhh, keep it quiet, a disastrous decision to subsidise the incompetent Scottish ship building company, but it's ok, it's only  £240 MILLION. 

Two and a half times the original quote. 

Couldnae make it up. 

https://www.insider.co.uk/news/auditor-reveals-ferguson-marine-ferries-26527624

PS I should add I'm still astinded the the PM, and every half wit that attended these parties during lockdown should lose their jobs.

That's only fair as ALL politicians should be held accountable for their actions. 

Edited March 24, 2022 by faraway saint

[Cumbriansaint72]

12 minutes ago, faraway saint said:

Shhh, keep it quiet, a disastrous decision to subsidise the incompetent Scottish ship building company, but it's ok, it's only  £240 MILLION. 

Two and a half times the original quote. 

Couldnae make it up. 

https://www.insider.co.uk/news/auditor-reveals-ferguson-marine-ferries-26527624

Yeah, it doesn't read good.

However things like this have been 30+ years in the making with the loss or decline of trades and experienced, competent people in higher positions within such companies. And replaced by number crunchers generally with not much experience with the practicalities of what the actual job entails.

 

 

[faraway saint]

Just now, Cumbriansaint72 said:

Yeah, it doesn't read good.

However things like this have been 30+ years in the making with the loss or decline of trades and experienced, competent people in higher positions within such companies. And replaced by number crunchers generally with not much experience with the practicalities of what the actual job entails.

 

 

Indeed, I've witnessed a steady decline in engineering over the years, incompetent people being in positions of authority, fiddling while Rome burns.

This is not only aimed at people at the top, rife throughout the industry, although the people at the top are ultimately responsible.

 

[faraway saint]

Just listened to a union leader saying that the government are against people coming into the country?

Typical "government" bashing. 

Does he forget that the PUBLIC voted for brexit, which I was against? 

The subject is based around the difficulty that the UK government are having allowing as many Ukrainian refugees into the country, a fair point, as it seems to be overly bureaucratic. 

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by faraway saint

[Cumbriansaint72]

3 minutes ago, faraway saint said:

Indeed, I've witnessed a steady decline in engineering over the years, incompetent people being in positions of authority, fiddling while Rome burns.

This is not only aimed at people at the top, rife throughout the industry, although the people at the top are ultimately responsible.

 

Totally agree. Take where I live, there has been a huge push to getting back to traditional trades as suddenly they penny dropped to a whole generation missed with in the first instance a new secondary school built which focuses on engineering along with the curriculum, close by it a post school age  training centre which local companies sponsor and offer apprenticeships from. 

 

[Cumbriansaint72]

13 minutes ago, faraway saint said:

Just listened to a union leader saying that the government are against people coming into the country?

Typical "government" bashing. 

Does he forget that the PUBLIC voted for brexit, which I was against? 

The subject is based around the difficulty that the UK government are having allowing as many Ukrainian refugees into the country, a fair point, as it seems to be overly bureaucratic. 

 

Brexit is a strange one @faraway saint we were divided here with Mrs CS voting for it and me against.

Purely, for me anyway it was down to driving regs of which no doubt @antrin will agree that the domestic GB ones are brutal.

And with that no doubt there would be some freight movers starting to use these to their advantage along with mist bus and coach operators.

[Rascal]

9 minutes ago, Cumbriansaint72 said:

Totally agree. Take where I live, there has been a huge push to getting back to traditional trades as suddenly they penny dropped to a whole generation missed with in the first instance a new secondary school built which focuses on engineering along with the curriculum, close by it a post school age  training centre which local companies sponsor and offer apprenticeships from. 

 

Has to be a good idea.

[faraway saint]

10 minutes ago, Cumbriansaint72 said:

Totally agree. Take where I live, there has been a huge push to getting back to traditional trades as suddenly they penny dropped to a whole generation missed with in the first instance a new secondary school built which focuses on engineering along with the curriculum, close by it a post school age  training centre which local companies sponsor and offer apprenticeships from. 

 

I've encountered a total ignorance to engineering by secondary schools throughout the last 30 years.

I've attended many open days at schools and the teachers and, more importantly, careers advisors, totally blank the engineering stands. 

Not so much a criticism of their lack of knowledge what engineering can offer but the lack of any attempt to open their eyes.

So much so three companies I worked for stopped attending these days, focusing on heavy advertising and giving presentations to the interested parties. 

Also utilising local colleges where youngsters had enrolled on engineering courses, and offering them an opportunity of a career. 

[Cumbriansaint72]

2 minutes ago, Rascal said:

Has to be a good idea.

To be fair one of the main sponsors was Sellafield Ltd who must have realised that there was going to be a shortage tradewise especially on site in the future and decided to take the bull by the horns, and good on them. Once they were involved a lot of the main contractors on site followed suit.

[Rascal]

Just now, Cumbriansaint72 said:

To be fair one of the main sponsors was Sellafield Ltd who must have realised that there was going to be a shortage tradewise especially on site in the future and decided to take the bull by the horns, and good on them. Once they were involved a lot of the main contractors on site followed suit.

I was brought up in a mining village. Not many people went on to what was called Higher Education. A way out of manual work was to learn a trade in industry or the nearby dockyard. Schools and FE colleges supported this by providing tuition in practical skills. Glad to see that these skills are back to being recognised as having equal value to academic qualifications.

[faraway saint]

7 minutes ago, Cumbriansaint72 said:

To be fair one of the main sponsors was Sellafield Ltd who must have realised that there was going to be a shortage tradewise especially on site in the future and decided to take the bull by the horns, and good on them. Once they were involved a lot of the main contractors on site followed suit.

I went for an interview at Gen2 a few years ago, a well set up training centre for engineering.

Unfortunately, despite an offer, the package wasn't enough to make it worthwhile me working/living there for the majority of the time. 

[Cumbriansaint72]

2 minutes ago, faraway saint said:

I've encountered a total ignorance to engineering by secondary schools throughout the last 30 years.

I've attended many open days at schools and the teachers and, more importantly, careers advisors, totally blank the engineering stands. 

Not so much a criticism of their lack of knowledge what engineering can offer but the lack of any attempt to open their eyes.

So much so three companies I worked for stopped attending these days, focusing on heavy advertising and giving presentations to the interested parties. 

Also utilising local colleges where youngsters had enrolled on engineering courses, and offering them an opportunity of a career. 

Not forgetting the old H+S brigade came into play and probably stopped most of the old tech work in secondary schools. H+S is surely basic common sense.

Certainly when I finished my apprenticeship as a diesel fitter there wasn't too many places then that did full engine recons on the scale we did at Hillington and new jobs in sphere were very few and far between. Even now the technology has moved on so far that even I would have some catching up to do.

 

[Cumbriansaint72]

Just now, faraway saint said:

I went for an interview at Gen2 a few years ago, a well set up training centre for engineering.

Unfortunately, despite an offer, the package wasn't enough to make it worthwhile me working/living there for the majority of the time. 

Gen 2 at workington?

 

[faraway saint]

1 minute ago, Cumbriansaint72 said:

Gen 2 at workington?

 

Yip, was pretty new, and expanding.

I liked what hey were trying to aim for, seemed to have a practical outlook, but, as I said, not financially an option for me living down there and traveling up/down every few weeks. 

[Cumbriansaint72]

Just now, faraway saint said:

Yip, was pretty new, and expanding.

I liked what hey were trying to aim for, seemed to have a practical outlook, but, as I said, not financially an option for me living down there and traveling up/down every few weeks. 

It still is along with energus across the road next to which is the secondary school which I mentioned, now being doubled the size.

And if everything goes wrong there is always the bus depot next door...........

And have me as a new driver mentor😉

[faraway saint]

4 minutes ago, Cumbriansaint72 said:

Not forgetting the old H+S brigade came into play and probably stopped most of the old tech work in secondary schools. H+S is surely basic common sense.

Certainly when I finished my apprenticeship as a diesel fitter there wasn't too many places then that did full engine recons on the scale we did at Hillington and new jobs in sphere were very few and far between. Even now the technology has moved on so far that even I would have some catching up to do.

 

H&S is a funny area.

Very important but ruined by people trying to justify their job and making "rules" that are actually hindering progress.

I've experienced some utterly idiotic "rules" when visiting oil companies in Aberdeen. 

The company I currently work for has a typical buffoon in this H&S position, enjoys making charts and diagrams while ignoring real issues.

I had a serious coolant leak on my machine for over 6 months, despite repeatedly reporting this, it was ignored.

This proved costly as I slipped and as a result have been successful in a claim against them.

30m minutes before this incident the H&S guy walked past, looked at the situation, and walked on, summed him up. 

All down to money, backed off in getting the machine fixed, resulting in 4 weeks lost production, having to pay for the repair anyway and an expensive insurance claim.

Short sighted and the wrong people in the wrong job. 

 

[Cumbriansaint72]

3 minutes ago, faraway saint said:

H&S is a funny area.

Very important but ruined by people trying to justify their job and making "rules" that are actually hindering progress.

I've experienced some utterly idiotic "rules" when visiting oil companies in Aberdeen. 

The company I currently work for has a typical buffoon in this H&S position, enjoys making charts and diagrams while ignoring real issues.

I had a serious coolant leak on my machine for over 6 months, despite repeatedly reporting this, it was ignored.

This proved costly as I slipped and as a result have been successful in a claim against them.

30m minutes before this incident the H&S guy walked past, looked at the situation, and walked on, summed him up. 

All down to money, backed off in getting the machine fixed, resulting in 4 weeks lost production, having to pay for the repair anyway and an expensive insurance claim.

Short sighted and the wrong people in the wrong job. 

 

Like you said justifying jobs and printing off things to prove.

We have one in our place that ticks off the same things every week. 

BUT at least you got to enjoy the garden room.. 

AND, see i don't post shite all the time🙂

[salmonbuddie]

Working where I do this type of stuff is endemic. A few years back we were buying an off the shelf ultra high pressure washer and spec'd stainless steel nozzles in lieu of standard carbon steel. The QA Engineer decided that this change meant that we would need a full engineering report on the effects of the changesbon the original design of the unit. Until I pointed out that we didn't have anyone qualified to do that and that essentially the change was akin to speccing alloys on a Ford Fiesta instead of standard. In fairness, he backed off at that point...

[faraway saint]

1 hour ago, salmonbuddie said:

Working where I do this type of stuff is endemic. A few years back we were buying an off the shelf ultra high pressure washer and spec'd stainless steel nozzles in lieu of standard carbon steel. The QA Engineer decided that this change meant that we would need a full engineering report on the effects of the changesbon the original design of the unit. Until I pointed out that we didn't have anyone qualified to do that and that essentially the change was akin to speccing alloys on a Ford Fiesta instead of standard. In fairness, he backed off at that point...

100%, common sense, unfortunately, isn't a degree subject. 

Edited March 26, 2022 by faraway saint

[Rascal]

Building ships in Scotland has , for a long time now, been carried out only where the vessels are ordered and/or government (Scotland or UK) sponsored in some way e,g. Defence. We have priced out selves out of the market compared to other countries and failed to both invest and to provide a talent base for the industry.

[Rascal]

Neil Kinnock reaches 80. https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2022-03-24/kinnock-at-80-the-former-labour-leader-on-life-in-and-out-of-politics

[faraway saint]

On 3/24/2022 at 10:46 PM, faraway saint said:

Shhh, keep it quiet, a disastrous decision to subsidise the incompetent Scottish ship building company, but it's ok, it's only  £240 MILLION. 

Two and a half times the original quote. 

Couldnae make it up. 

https://www.insider.co.uk/news/auditor-reveals-ferguson-marine-ferries-26527624

PS I should add I'm still astinded the the PM, and every half wit that attended these parties during lockdown should lose their jobs.

That's only fair as ALL politicians should be held accountable for their actions. 

This disaster rumbles on, a terrible decision and costly. 

Just heard some director was on £3,000 a DAY plus expenses. 

This came to over £2m, "the market rate" said wee Nicky? 

[ianmac]

39 minutes ago, faraway saint said:

This disaster rumbles on, a terrible decision and costly. 

Just heard some director was on £3,000 a DAY plus expenses. 

This came to over £2m, "the market rate" said wee Nicky? 

I drove past Ferguson Marine today as I do about once a week,  and there actually seemed to be people working on the newest ship and lots of cars parked nearby, presumably for workers, so maybe things are moving at last.

[faraway saint]

16 minutes ago, ianmac said:

I drove past Ferguson Marine today as I do about once a week,  and there actually seemed to be people working on the newest ship and lots of cars parked nearby, presumably for workers, so maybe things are moving at last.

Better check the people and  cars were real.......................

It’s a story that has been chuntering along for several years. At first, it was one of mild ridicule, a bit of joshing around the fact that in 2017, Nicola Sturgeon attended a photoshoot for the ‘launch’ of a boat that had painted-on windows and a pretend funnel because it had not been completed on time.

 

 

[Rascal]

1 hour ago, ianmac said:

I drove past Ferguson Marine today as I do about once a week,  and there actually seemed to be people working on the newest ship and lots of cars parked nearby, presumably for workers, so maybe things are moving at last.

Best to look on the positive side of things. Everyone knows that mistakes have been made. Park it in and get on with delivering the ferries. The need has not gone away. Our ability as Scots to rake over past mistakes whilst ignoring successes is certainly world leading. Upwards and onwards or we will certainly underachieve.

Edited March 31, 2022 by Rascal