www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... -etiquette Good article on the "misplaced death etiquette" and the problems it can cause when applied to controversial political figures

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... -etiquette Good article on the "misplaced death etiquette" and the problems it can cause when applied to controversial political figures

All in an age where there wasn't some giant retailers undercutting them until they went out of business, you really think they would survive in the current market?

True but planning regulations have an awful lot to do with it and if more thought had gone into where supermarkets were allowed to build it could well have saved hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs.

Some extraordinary venom on this thread. It's like Lord of The Flies. Ordinary intellectuals reduced to frothing at the mouth like a rabid dog. Brilliant.

God bless Maggie. May angels rain down feathers and sunshine upon her face.

Sorry but that's a simplistic view.

It only takes a shift of 30% of trade from the independent to the supermarket to finish off the independent shop because that's his margin wiped out.
So, whilst potentially 70% of shoppers in a locale (let's just say a majority) might prefer the small independents, even if they stay loyal the independents still go bust.

No supermarket has an absolute monopoly but the power intrinsic in their sheer size means they have the same advantage over an independent as if they did have a monopoly.
Virtually the only ones who can compete in those circumstances are other supermarket chains ... and starting a supermarket chain from small beginnings these days is well-nigh impossible.

M&S started in 1884, Morrison's in 1889 ... they'd have no chance of the same growth if they were starting out now.

Hopefully C4 will re-run Brassed Off tonight

Good call.

When she took over we were labelled the 'sick man of Europe' and we had experienced the 'winter of discontent' when rubbish piled up on the streets and the dead were left unburied. She saved us from subsequent years of that kind of unelected union domination which was crucifying our country.

Of course - talented business people will always thrive - especially retailers it is about differentiation giving customers a reason to shop with you - spend less time moaning about the competition and more time finding the chink in their armour. You think Waitrose stop trying because every other major supermarket is way cheaper no they use the notion that their stuff is worth paying extra for - that is what serious business people do. How do M&S sell so much food given they are even more expensive than Waitrose - does Asda chopping prices cause them any grief?

Well said.

rlThere's a party planned for George Square, Glasgow tonightrl

You can't say that on here - Mr Fish & Mrs Mint will be on you in no time

Ah, you CAN say that on here though, can't you? Even though it's complete and utter bollox.

Unfortunately, regardless of how necessary the railing back of Union power might have been she went on to do far more harm than good, as has been listed elsewhere. Her policies were the root cause of our housing crisis & benefits crisis just for starters.

If you think those suffering with mental health problems were better looked after in the old asylum system then I would ask whether you have ever worked in one? I did. In Carlisle. While care in the community was a disaster in some ways, the asylum system was already a disaster in many more ways. My boss, the unit manager at Garlands Hospital, had to regularly rotate his nursing and auxiliary staff in order to avoid abuse because getting people who actually CARED about those they were paid to look after was very, very difficult. There were indeed some very devoted nurses in that unit who worked very hard to make life comfortable for those who were often extremely challenging as a result of their illnesses, but they were not the majority of staff. And the conditions in which clients lived were far from comfortable even though, in the case of Carlisle, they were surrounded by lovely countryside and still pretty much outside the city walls (which is where many asylums were built - out of sight; out of mind). There was much wrong with the asylum system. Some wasn't fixed by care in the community and indeed new problems were added, but retaining the asylum system for all mental health sufferers was most definitely not the way to go.