During a debate between parliamentary candidates for the Liverpool Wavertree constituency last April, Conservative Andrew Garnett declared discussion of the 1980s no longer "relevant" to today's city. "The 80s are always relevant to Liverpool" came the swift reply.But enough about its denizens’ fashion sense…
Can we get some gratuitous ‘It’s all the fault of Thatcher!’ into this article? Oh, yes:
The families affected still feel the repercussions in a below-average life expectancy, some of the most deprived estates in Britain, and a stubbornly high level of people claiming benefits.Interesting term, ‘stubbornly’…
In the last two decades, however, the complete transformation of the city into a vibrant, world-class destination for art, music and business resulted in the erosion of the images of dereliction and deprivation that existed in the minds of many southerners.Oh, really?
Employment in Liverpool had increased by 12.4% between 1998 and 2007, compared with 9.5% nationally – an increase of 25,100 additional employee jobs over the period.Wow! So businesses are investing in Liverpool and…
Oh. Wait:
Despite these achievements, certain structural weaknesses remained: a disproportionate number of Liverpudlians are employed in the public sector (39% compared to 26.9% nationally)…Yeah, that’s sustainable, I’m sure…
… and almost a third of working age people claim some kind of benefit (27% in Liverpool and 29% in neighbouring Knowsley).That too…
Some inner-city neighbourhoods saw little benefit from the gentrification and investment in the city centre.Not sure how Thatcher or the Tories are supposed to be responsible for that, Jennifer…
. The Tories' cuts will punish a city that nonetheless saw huge investment and regeneration under Labour, and will damage a community that relies heavily on the public and service sectors for its wages.In other words, Labour lavished huge benefits on Liverpool to keep it solidly Labour-voting, and now the money’s run out, the coalition aren’t minded to do the same thing, even if they could afford it?
Shocker…
Still, can we have more emotive claptrap?
Even Liverpool's foetuses will not be spared Osborne's axe, as the Pregnancy in Health grant is scrapped./facepalm
The systematic intent of the Tories to devastate a city should already be clear, but in case there was any doubt, let me remind you why: the city of Liverpool absolutely always votes Labour.And I thought turkeys didn’t vote for Christmas…
Liverpool is set to become the case study for a city destroyed for a second time by the economic policy of a Conservative government, and they are not the only ones. It is time for the north to fight back.With what..?
"Even Liverpool's foetuses will not be spared Osborne's axe, as the Pregnancy in Health grant is scrapped" ...
ReplyDeleteAhh .. but just think how much the rest of us will save by not having to pay for the cradle to grave nurturing of a City full of shell suit-wearing, car-stealing , drug-using scallies ..
The moulds for "Royle Family" style reproduction can finally be broken .. (if you thought that was a comedy, you'd be sadly mistaken) .. It was a Fly-on-the-wall documentary ..
The savings for the rest of the Country are incalculable ..
"But enough about its denizens’ fashion sense"
ReplyDeleteThe shell suit will make a comeback.
Captain Haddock
ReplyDeleteThe Royle Family was set in Manchester. Denise only had two kids - ten years apart - with the same man, to whom she was married. And he had a job.
Shameless would be more appropriate, though that is set in Manchester as well.
Destroyed by Nu Labour for stoking its public sector so high and knowing full well the money would run out. I also blame the local council for doing the same, instead of going for a minimalist local authority structure.
ReplyDeleteSelf pity should come only from believing all the Labour bollox over the years.
'a disproportionate number of Liverpudlians are employed in the public sector (39% compared to 26.9% nationally)'
ReplyDeleteThe Liverpool office of the 'Borders Agency' now processes most of the applications for UK citizenship from the latest batch of immigrants. As over 2 million came here LEGALLY in the Bliar/Brown years thats a nice little earner for those scousers who are office trained- and it will be 'cuts-proof' !
"images of dereliction and deprivation that existed in the minds of many southerners"
ReplyDeleteJust southerners? Hah, they're optimistic. I'm originally from Preston and I know exactly what the local northern view of Liverpool was - best thing would be to build a wall round it to keep the thieving scousers in, or find a way to blast it clear of the mainland and float it out to sea.
Not for nothing did the residents of Southport fight a long campaign to try to stay in Lancashire, and not get dumped into Merseyside.
Too damn right, jd.
ReplyDeleteLiverpool did suffer horribly during WW2 (so did Manchester, but the latter seemed to mend itself much sooner), and containerisation of dock traffic greatly reduced the opportunities for enterprise among the Scouse population (They'd have anything that wasn't chained down. If it was chained down, they nicked some bolt-cutters from somewhere.) That sense of entitlement to somebody else's goods has never left some of them - not all; there are decent Scousers.
Regeneration of Liverpool started in the 1980's under Heseltine, but no Liverpool politco would admit that. 'Degsy' Derek Hatton was still spewing his poison at the time. In the end, even the Scousers got sick of him, and a Lib Dem rise brought a bit more sense to things.
Liverpool is still a place not to go unless you have to. The centre and parts of the waterfront are quite smart; the rest is a dump. I say that as someone who has family roots there (they moved out).
Liverpool could help itself a lot if some of residents lost the chip off their shoulder and started to be a bit more willing to knuckle down and earn their living rather than expecting the world to owe them a living - it doesn't.
"The shell suit will make a comeback."
ReplyDeletePlease no!
"Self pity should come only from believing all the Labour bollox over the years."
And yet, they will continue to do so.
"...thats a nice little earner for those scousers who are office trained- and it will be 'cuts-proof' !"
Indeed!
"Not for nothing did the residents of Southport fight a long campaign to try to stay in Lancashire, and not get dumped into Merseyside."
Ah, Southport! I worked with a chap who aways, when asked about where he was from, would say 'Southport'. Never 'Liverpool'..
"Liverpool could help itself a lot if some of residents lost the chip off their shoulder and started to be a bit more willing to knuckle down and earn their living..."
And yet there's always a host of talking heads ready to tell them their troubles are never their own fault. Until they stop listening to them, nothing will change...
Just what the internet needs..another blog overflowing with bigoted shit..
ReplyDelete