Rishi Sunak is a red...

I was just going to post about the TDC, as far as I can recall it was dissolved because of huge debts and serious corruption.
Alleged corruption, the records were destroyed so that they couldn't trace the full skullduggery.

I always find it interesting when proposals such as these are expressed and people from more desperate areas are drawn in and cheer that they've been rewarded over their equally desperate neighbours. What kind of humanity are we creating?

Had the TDC not been formed what would we be missing out on. If Stockton council had proposed to ship local jobs out of town and build a barrier across the Tees could you imagine the outcry. Instead they're having to spend millions repairing the effects of TDCs flagship development.

We did see development and the creation of temporary jobs in the regeneration periods but at the same time we saw a decrease in long term jobs as we outsourced (and continue to do so) well paid, long term jobs.

As was said 40 years ago, the Tory voters know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
 
The question just put to Sunak that we've been told that reducing corporation tax would increase tax revenues, something they attacked Labour with in recent elections with when they proposed increases. After lots of waffling Sunak has admitted that reducing corporation tax reduces tax revenues, but the hope was it would encourage companies to invest; the evidence is that tax receipts reduced and didn't invest.

He said we'll still have a competitive rate compared with G7 and other nations. Just as Labour said at the last election. Looks like Tory duplicity exposed again.
Obviously going against Tory mantra is not what the chancellor would have wanted, but where else is he going to start reclaiming the £100's of billions spent? There are no winners in this but he is as far as I can see hitting companies on their profits above a certain level. Are you objecting to that , of course you're not. He is incentivising big companies to invest in the 8 Freeports areas,, hopefully bringing in jobs, levelling up. There are incentives to encourage more apprenticeships. Only time will tell, but I'd rather be optimistic than pessimistic.
 
Obviously going against Tory mantra is not what the chancellor would have wanted, but where else is he going to start reclaiming the £100's of billions spent? There are no winners in this but he is as far as I can see hitting companies on their profits above a certain level. Are you objecting to that , of course you're not. He is incentivising big companies to invest in the 8 Freeports areas,, hopefully bringing in jobs, levelling up. There are incentives to encourage more apprenticeships. Only time will tell, but I'd rather be optimistic than pessimistic.
It exposed the lies they've being telling since Thatcherite times. Why wasn't this done to get out of the consequences of the financial crisis rather than decimate public services? At least the lies can't be repeated now he's admitted it publicly.

I don't see the distribution of freeports across the country as levelling up. I hope it's not an opportunity for getting rid of employment protection, including the living wage and health and safety requirements. It'll be a huge boost for organised crime though.
 
Alleged corruption, the records were destroyed so that they couldn't trace the full skullduggery.

I always find it interesting when proposals such as these are expressed and people from more desperate areas are drawn in and cheer that they've been rewarded over their equally desperate neighbours. What kind of humanity are we creating?

Had the TDC not been formed what would we be missing out on. If Stockton council had proposed to ship local jobs out of town and build a barrier across the Tees could you imagine the outcry. Instead they're having to spend millions repairing the effects of TDCs flagship development.

We did see development and the creation of temporary jobs in the regeneration periods but at the same time we saw a decrease in long term jobs as we outsourced (and continue to do so) well paid, long term jobs.

As was said 40 years ago, the Tory voters know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

Stockton highstreet was never effected by Teesside Park. The shops on offer were completely different and many would never had opened on the highstreet... In recent years that has changed slightly with smaller units but it would still not effect Stockton. As for closing in stockton and moving to Teesside park... you won't be able to name one that did it.

Stockton Highstreet is a victim of pis s poor leadership who split the centre in two and changed the layout away from the tradional layout. it made it impossible for a business to succeed as the footfall was never concentrated in one area. They should have reverted back to the Market Town design years ago and it would have thrived just like Yarm, Thirsk, Northallerton and Stokesley.

As for Long term jobs... Its a fantasy now and has been for decades... you very rarely find a job for life now and the job market reflects that. (outside of the civil service, teaching and NHS obviously) the bottom line is the tories have clear evidence of investment and job creation. Labour have clear evidence of bringing PFI that is crippling a local hospital (and many others).
 
Obviously going against Tory mantra is not what the chancellor would have wanted, but where else is he going to start reclaiming the £100's of billions spent? There are no winners in this but he is as far as I can see hitting companies on their profits above a certain level. Are you objecting to that , of course you're not. He is incentivising big companies to invest in the 8 Freeports areas,, hopefully bringing in jobs, levelling up. There are incentives to encourage more apprenticeships. Only time will tell, but I'd rather be optimistic than pessimistic.
I'll look back at the history of the last four decades and be a little more skeptical.

Tories aren't interested in levelling up, it's against what they've always stood for. To level up someone has to level down, which group will be doing that?
 
Stockton highstreet was never effected by Teesside Park. The shops on offer were completely different and many would never had opened on the highstreet... In recent years that has changed slightly with smaller units but it would still not effect Stockton. As for closing in stockton and moving to Teesside park... you won't be able to name one that did it.

Stockton Highstreet is a victim of pis s poor leadership who split the centre in two and changed the layout away from the tradional layout. it made it impossible for a business to succeed as the footfall was never concentrated in one area. They should have reverted back to the Market Town design years ago and it would have thrived just like Yarm, Thirsk, Northallerton and Stokesley.

As for Long term jobs... Its a fantasy now and has been for decades... you very rarely find a job for life now and the job market reflects that. (outside of the civil service, teaching and NHS obviously) the bottom line is the tories have clear evidence of investment and job creation. Labour have clear evidence of bringing PFI that is crippling a local hospital (and many others).

Absolute bullshyt with regards to the effect on Stockton High Street.

Long term jobs have disappeared due to the right wing philosophy of outsourcing, as I said, you know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

The Tories also have a recorded of high unemployment, increased poverty, food banks, low wages and the continued transition of a nation downhill.

The incredible wealth taken from North Sea Oil has been squandered, we have a poorer standard of living than neighbouring countries not having the benefit of it, and for the majority of that time we've had a Tory government. So let's not forget that they threw away the wealth, much if it created by the people of Teesside.
 
It exposed the lies they've being telling since Thatcherite times. Why wasn't this done to get out of the consequences of the financial crisis rather than decimate public services? At least the lies can't be repeated now he's admitted it publicly.

I don't see the distribution of freeports across the country as levelling up. I hope it's not an opportunity for getting rid of employment protection, including the living wage and health and safety requirements. It'll be a huge boost for organised crime though.
I'll look back at the history of the last four decades and be a little more skeptical.

Tories aren't interested in levelling up, it's against what they've always stood for. To level up someone has to level down, which group will be doing that?
I'd rather wait and see before condemning the good news given to our area. I see it as a positive, and that they have listened to what this area needs. Jobs to replace those that were lost when the steel works were closed. The taxpayer is paying the bill as they always have done.
 
This from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

"Before the Budget we set out five tests to judge whether the measures announced would deliver for people living in poverty. Our analysis shows that the choices made by the Chancellor on social security, housing, and the economy do not pass those tests and risk pulling people into poverty as a result."
 
As for Long term jobs... Its a fantasy now and has been for decades... you very rarely find a job for life now
sorry, don't mean to be rude, but you don't know what you are talking about. Long term jobs and jobs for life are two different concepts. By long term jobs it means that position is a tenable role for years, decades (a business as usual role), as appose to a short term job, a project based job that ceases to exist when the project is delivered. A long term job may be fulfilled by one person for 40 years or 10 people for 4 yeas each, it is still +1 on the employment figures. Doesn't matter either way, it's of net benefit to the local economy.

Now lets be a little more honest with this debate going forward, cheers
 
bollox it went from a thriving high street in the 80s to moribund in the 90s and that was pre-internet.
Short memories and ignorance serve the Tory cause well.

One possible good outcome for the area, and the Tories should be applauded for it if it's succesful, is the Treasury Northern Campus bring developed, though I'd like to see what jobs are involved. I'm hoping it's not just the low grade work being transferred north, no details yet. Are the posts being transferred north or are local people being employed?

The freeport hasn't been explained. Are existing port jobs on the Tees and Hartlepool just going to be transferred with a lot of flag waving or will new jobs be created, if so how many and at what level?

Seems to be a lot of excitement generated without any detail of what's happening.
 
bollox it went from a thriving high street in the 80s to moribund in the 90s and that was pre-internet.
OK then name one shop that moved from Stockton High street to the New Opening of Teesside Park

Bottom line is you can't as not one retailer did.

As someone that has worked in retail management for the first 10 years of my career (in stockton and middlesbrough and other places) the retail experience is completely different between the two and is not at the determent of either. Middlesbrough has not seen an impact and they actually do share a number of the shops... so why has Stockton?

As said above it is to do with the layout and ridiculous decisions taken by the council over the last years. They effectively split the two in two with the development of the castlegate and then Wellington square. I was present for the wellington square development with Debenhams and to say it was a complete design failure is an understatement.... they effectively moved half the highstreet to the back of the town and then wondered why the old frontage died....

Retail is a visual experience.... if you remove the visual you lose the triggers that leads to a purchase. all of the wellington square tenants lost window space and in most cases didnt have any at all (m and s, had you looking at the foodhall ffs.)

SBC have now finally started to click that the 2 centre model doesn't work and as a result want to level the castlegate.... this will no doubt help bring life back to the wellington, however the issue remains that it is still hidden away.
 
The Wellington development was a mistake, there was no need to expand retail at the time, same for the Captain Cook development in Middlesbrough.

Footfall was split once Teesside Park was built and a lot of smaller shops disappeared as a result. Leslie Brown, for instance. There were a lot of empty shops from that period onwards, well before internet shopping which has devastated town centres in areas where poverty has been allowed to rise unchecked due to right wing policies.

Had Teesside Park not been developed both Middlesbrough and Stockton centres would be in a healthier position.
 
Anyone that can't see what's going on is a buffoon. Throwing money and favour at marginal Tory seats to cement their slot at the next election.
That said when Blair was in power they did NOTHING for us depsite Blair and Milburn both being in seats right on our doorstep. Sheffield (Plunkett) and Hull (Prescott) had £10s of milliuons thrown at them during Labour govenments.
 
Anyone that can't see what's going on is a buffoon. Throwing money and favour at marginal Tory seats to cement their slot at the next election.
That said when Blair was in power they did NOTHING for us depsite Blair and Milburn both being in seats right on our doorstep. Sheffield (Plunkett) and Hull (Prescott) had £10s of milliuons thrown at them during Labour govenments.
You mind find that this comes somewhere close to nothing. No figures mentioned yet.
 
Regardless of anybody's political agenda, surely the investment declared yesterday into Teesside can only be viewed as fantastic news.

The chancellor is damned if he does invest and damned if he doesn't.
 
You mind find that this comes somewhere close to nothing. No figures mentioned yet.
I'm no Tory but if they actually happen then for sure it will not come to 'nothing'.
Moving 700 jobs into an area can only be of benefit, in fact any jobs, and freeports have also proven to bring jobs and investment.
They are commensurate liars but even they would be hard pushed to do nothing after announcing action.
 
Regardless of anybody's political agenda, surely the investment declared yesterday into Teesside can only be viewed as fantastic news.

The chancellor is damned if he does invest and damned if he doesn't.
I think that's the point - this isn't investment per se, rather it's a "status" conferred upon an area by the government, in effect a free policy.

The investment will depend on the desire of private businesses to open (mostly relocate) to the port. On the face of it the government have said to businesses "invest in this area with history of massive under-investment and we'll make it easy (and cheap) for you to operate." I could be wrong but I see the risk for this initiative sitting squarely with business, not with the government.
 
OK then name one shop that moved from Stockton High street to the New Opening of Teesside Park
It's not about which shops, it's about footfall. People can't be in Teesside Park and Stockton High St at the same time, unless you want to clone people?
 
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