What will they sell off next ???

[MARK.B.]

So now the government in all its wisdom has decided to sell off our Air Sea Rescue service to the highest bidder which in this case is the American Bristow group . I dread to think what else they will auction off for short term monatery gain without thought of the long term pain, just how much of the UK's infrastructure is now owned and run by foriegn companies who could if they so wish literally pull the plug once they have extracted all possible profit.
Will it soon become nessessary for everyone that enjoys outdoor activities (anything from mountain climbing to stroll along the path by the cliffs) to take out a insurance policy?.
Or is it just me thinking the worst .

p.s. Does any one out there have a spare pair of rose tinted glasses i seem to have mislaid mine :mrgreen:

 

[RogerS]

It was started long before the Coalition came into power. Think Gas Electricity Water. Crazy to sell the countries infra-structure.

 

[powertools]

God only knows what they will sell off next. Everything has now come down to short term gain with no vision of the future.

 

[MARK.B.]

Right you are Roger,a long long time before the dynamic duo started to B ugger things up even more.

Powertools the way its going we may as well roll over and admit defeat because the UK is on its knees just a few short years away from total foreign control without a shot being fired. every politician knows it but not one has the gonads to admit it .

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Part of the problem with Air Sea Rescue is that it is equipped with some very old and clapped-out Sea King helicopters, which are really long overdue replacement. It won't have escaped anybody's notice that the country has run out of money, so the decision to find another way of providing the service is a pragmatic one. After all, the RNLI and Mountain Rescue are both completely independent of government, and their services are certainly more than good enough. Air Ambulances are often supported by charitable donation, and they seem to do a good job.

Sometimes you get used a certain way of doing things, and forget that other ways might work too. Both English Heritage and the National Trust safeguard parts of the nation's heritage. Both seem to do so reasonably effectively. Both can be criticised. One is wholly publically controlled, one is completely independent of government. Can't really say that one works and one doesn't.

 

[Dusty]

My view is this ...........If say it cost ( for explanation purposes ) £1000 per hour to run for our goverment to run now . They sell out to the yanks and it costs them £1000 per hour to run aswell , they will then want to make profit , so charge another £100 on top . So the cost is now £1100 per hour . and they reap the benefits of the service as they wish to use Sikorsky aircraft and not Sea Kings so lost trade for our boys / girls yet again !!

The numbers used were just for example . The bit that sickens me more so is the loss of 2 stations in the SW so there is now less cover at a quick reaction rate . But there justification was that the new aircraft are quicker ..........so what , how long would it take them to get to weymouth from Helston , about 45 min to an hour plus take off time . Instead of the 5 mins it currently takes .

Once again , the same old same old , sell it , cash it and worry about it later , the list does go on as said ,gold , elecy , gas , trains , roads , housing , buildings ,schools , hospitals .

Might aswell sell the lot and get it done with .

but hey , at least it is not cold weather at the moment :roll:

Knd regards Sam

 

[MARK.B.]

You make some valid points Cheshirechappie, the helicopters are old and will need replacing,in a year or so when our government pulls our Armed Forces out of Afghanistan there will be plenty of perfectly good helicopters and crew more than able to do the job and the cost of running them will be miniscule compared to what is being spent on a daily basis in Afghanistan. Mountain Rescue have expressed concerns over the sell off ,both they and the RNLI do a fantastic job as do the Air Ambulance service's. The National Trust and English Heritage do a great job in preserving our heritage .
True we do get used to certain things and dislike change but why change something that works perfectly well for a unknown untried replacement,true Bristows have a large fleet of mostly modern helicopters and very capable pilots and crew that provide a great service to the oil companies etc but they only do this when there is a nice healthy profit to be made.Will they put profit over life and limb,refuse to fly because it looks like snow or they haven't had a tea break i dont know,if you believe the government they will provide this service and so much more.There have been a number of knee jerk sell offs by various governments over the years,some work great and some have failed spectacularly costing the British taxpayer billions. Dont forget when part of the Air Sea Rescue our service men and women receive invaluable training that they cannot get anywhere else and this is used to save the lives of our forces and others when they are sent into conflict with those that wish us harm and they also provide help to the unfortunate that are put in peril by mother nature all over the world. No disrespect to Bristows or there personnel but if i was stranded on a mountain in foul weather in danger of losing my life, i know that those that perform this service would risk life and limb without hesitation to try and save me,do they do it for the money or the glory no they do it because they are members of our Armed Forces.

 

[pip1954]

and some bright spark wanted to sell the white cliffs of dover how much lower can they go.
this goverment as labour said cannot run a p**s up in a brewery .
they cut cut cut the nhs now they say we need more nurses to stop all the problems in the nhs.
you cannot keep taking money out of the country with out some thing going, i don't think they know what to do any more
god save us
still we could have boris to help sort it out, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (laughs uncontrollable)

 

[RogerS]

and some bright spark wanted to sell the white cliffs of dover how much lower can they go.
this goverment as labour said cannot run a p**s up in a brewery .
they cut cut cut the nhs now they say we need more nurses to stop all the problems in the nhs.
you cannot keep taking money out of the country with out some thing going, i don't think they know what to do any more
god save us
still we could have boris to help sort it out, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (laughs uncontrollable)

Nurse? Nurse? He's out of bed again.

Which 'bright spark' ?

Labour said? Oh please!....Labour got us into this mess in the first place. Actually, Labour couldn't find the brewery in the first place!

What cuts to the NHS? Or should I say 'cut, cut, cuts'....The culture of the NHS that is coming into criticism was established by Labour. Tick box culture..Labour.

 

[RogerS]

Mark.B...I think you are forgetting a few things closer to home. How long ago was it that the police wouldn't go and rescue someone because they hadn't been trained?

And .........

But while there was dismay on the Dorset coast, 30 miles away the mood was brighter. The winning bid is set to secure hundreds of jobs in Yeovil, Somerset, the UK home of AgustaWestland, the helicopter manufacturer. (source: FT)

 

[maltrout512]

and some bright spark wanted to sell the white cliffs of dover how much lower can they go.
this goverment as labour said cannot run a p**s up in a brewery .
they cut cut cut the nhs now they say we need more nurses to stop all the problems in the nhs.
you cannot keep taking money out of the country with out some thing going, i don't think they know what to do any more
god save us
still we could have boris to help sort it out, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha (laughs uncontrollable)

Not heard of selling the cliffs, but trying to remember of someone who had some great insight in finance and sold some gold when the price was rock bottom. ](*,)

 

[MARK.B.]

Roger I did read about that and saw the news on telly,not sure if they wouldn't or were not allowed to by the rules that govern thier actions , I think in general our police force's do a great job considering thier hands are tied by all the rules a regs that ensure our criminals are not upset or inconvienienced in any way that may infringe on thier human rights.
Still not to worry it wont be long now before powers that be in thier wisdom invite private companies to bid for the rights to police our fair land.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Malcolm - not only did Brown sell at rock bottom prices, he was such a financial wizard that he announced to the world that he was going to sell it, thus guaranteeing.....wait...you've guessed it....rock bottom prices!

 

[RogerS]

But phil.p.....Gordon 'saved the World'....all praise Saint Gordon !!! :?

 

[Sawyer]

Yes, the RNLI, Mountain Rescue and the National Trust do a good job indepenently, but are they not all 'non profit organisations'?

Unlike the US Bristow Group, who will be eying up Air Sea Rescue for reasons which are less than altruistic. Instead, they have shareholders who will be looking to leach some of our money out of the whole thing. Not sure that the business of saving lives needs to generate surplus cash in the first place, but if so, why not re-invest it in the actual service?

 

[whiskywill]

But phil.p.....Gordon 'saved the World'....all praise Saint Gordon !!! :?

And where is Gordon Brown now? Just like David Milliband he was in it for himself not "To make things better" or "For the good of my constituents". If they can't have the top jobs, they don't want to play.

 

[whiskywill]

Not heard of selling the cliffs

I remember it well. It was in the newspaper, on or around April 1st last year.

 

[RogerS]

But phil.p.....Gordon 'saved the World'....all praise Saint Gordon !!! :?

And where is Gordon Brown now? Just like David Milliband he was in it for himself not "To make things better" or "For the good of my constituents". If they can't have the top jobs, they don't want to play.

You're spot on there. 15th January 2013 was his first Commons appearance for more than a year.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A couple of left wing posters on a Times article praised Milliband Major's altruism in going to work for a charity. I'd do the job for £300,000 +health insurance + pension contributions. Always thinking of others, these socialists.

 

[Sawyer]

The Brothers Milliband - socialists? I think not. The Labour Party is just as capitalist as the other two.