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Anecdotal: I walk into the centre of Birmingham through Digbeth across the river Rea in its little culvert most days and have done since around the late 80s. Us
by keithpeter 9y ago
Anecdotal: I walk into the centre of Birmingham through Digbeth across the river Rea in its little culvert most days and have done since around the late 80s. Used to go past small metal bashers and 'repetition' companies with doors open for ventilation. Metal baskets full of washers, and a galvanising company with a huge Victorian shed dipping parts into vats. Now, mostly garages, car scrap and rebuilding. A few hipster galleries and coffee bars.
Historical Note: Thatcher's administrations moved the UK economy from manufacturing to service industries. This has always worried me through the volatility of the service sector. Germany (then West Germany) went down a different path.
Numerical sideline: West Midlands (mentioned in OA) has a population of 5 million.
Breaking News: Jeremy Corbin is addressing a rally down the hill. Big turnout.
Background: GMB is a TUC affiliated trade union
https://www.gmb.org.uk/ https://www.gmb.org.uk/
https://www.tuc.org.uk/britains-unions https://www.tuc.org.uk/britains-unions
- thinkingemote 9y agoThanks for the ancedote. As a fellow brit I'm not sure what kind of universal truth or meaning this conjunction of ideas means but it's certainly characteristic of the liberal and flexible nature of British society at least.
- keithpeter 9y agoNo universal anything and no claim to truth. Just trying to convey the various influences in the moment.
- youngtaff 9y agoI understand the sentiment but it's a little harsh to say Thatcher moved the UK economy from manufacturing to service industries (although that seemed her intent). From 1970 - 1980 the percentage of GDP from manufacturing fell by 5%, from 1980 - 1995 it then fell by another 5% https://fullfact.org/economy/did-labour-decimate-manufacturing/ https://fullfact.org/economy/did-labour-decimate-manufacturi...
- keithpeter 9y agoAgreed, perhaps I should of said 'nudged the rudder in the direction of services' and later governments rolled with the course change as the path of least resistance. PS: the geographical distribution of those GDP share reductions might bear investigation. The kinds of jobs available in the Black Country changed radically in the 1980s.
- youngtaff 9y agoI think manufacturing has been in decline since the late 50s but can't find data to back that up. One of the challenges I see is that most of UK manufacturing has gone high-tech and become more automated so less opportunities for people in sheds!