OUT NOW! we stand
Socialist Organiser1983 1983-06-02Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 9 →
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million (46% more).
In short, an 'unholy symbiosis' has taken place whereby low investment levels have forced governments to increase public sector borrowing. The Thatcher project of smashing trade union power and "privatising" nationalised industries is of course one "solution" to this dilemma. But it could only succeed if two conditions were met.
Firstly, if the labour movement could be thoroughly shattered and placed in a legal straightacket ana secondly, it tha magical phenomenon "marke forces" could assemble investment funds of the enormity required to reinvigorate the UK industrial base.
The latter notion is about as realistic as expecting the Victorda cricketers of W.li. Grace to i: Viv Richards' present day Tas: Indies. (3.6 million) and France (3 By 1982 the UK was fourth, having lost one million (half) of its 1972 total to drop behind Italy's with 1.3 million. (It actually made fewer cars than Spain).
UK output was now a tenth of the EEC six total. Exports were 395,000 and imports 59%.
Employment stands at 303,000 and with more sackings in the offing. In a vastly expanded market and with new industrialisation drives in the offing Third World countries - Britain is the only significant manufacturer to be turning out less vehicles in the 1980s man in 1958. To talk oi increases in productivity per man at Conley and Longbridge in this content. as Edwardes and Thatcher have done, is nonsense.
The car industry was the just 216,000 tonnes compared to 8.4 million tonnes for Japan.
Similarly, the job level in all aspects of UK shipbuilding is 137,000 (including warships and marine engineering), roughly half of the 1961 total.
The reason for the decline is intrinsic to the degeneration of UK capitalism; lack of strategic planning for established and newly developing markets, an obsession by high finance with short term profitability policy not related to the manufacturing sector, an increasing willingness :o sell off new technologial inno vations to other capitalism a total disinterest in renovating old productive techniques.
The Falklands expedition was indeed a military cameo for a much greater historical absurdity; that is the notion that contemрогат! monopoly capitalist Britain can be returned to an era 36p including postage from Socialist Organiser, 28, Middle Lane, London N8 8PL. Join Ithe 20p Where we stand Party for J i policies: