All entries for Thursday 06 April 2006

Time for renationalization?

Writing about web page http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4885426.stm

BAE Systems is about to sell its 20% stake in Airbus, the commercial airline manufacturer which is 80% owned by EADS, a French-German consortium.

This sounds like nothing but bad news for Britain. I wouldn't normally be a great advocate of nationalised industries, but given the lack of other aerospace businesses in the UK, who else would buy the 20% stake?

The danger with letting Airbus move entirely to the continent is that it'll become practically impossible for our aerospace industry to attract contracts in commercial airline-building. Given the level of protectionism being exercised by Mr Chirac, won't the new Franco-German Airbus give almost all of its work to homegrown industries?

The industry in the UK creates between 13,000 – 135,000 jobs, and high-paying ones which we can't afford to do without. The British stake in Airbus is vital to those jobs.

It sounds unpalatable after the 70s, but is the case of Airbus one where nationalization might actually be appropriate?

: 06 Apr 2006 21:13 |  Tags: Airbus Bae Systems Government Nationalization |  Comments (31) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

The University of Warwick, 2008

What it'll be like at the University of Warwick in 2008…

Link

: 06 Apr 2006 20:46 |  Tags: Bird Flu Insite Scaremongering Warwick |  Comments (6) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Bush in Trouble

Breaking News
Looks like George Bush is in BIG trouble. He's been accused (apparently) of authorising Lewis Libby to leak details about a CIA agent, for which Libby was subsequently sacked and prosecuted.

This could be the news that makes a pretty lame duck appear outright dead. I'll say this with a big question mark on the end:

Impeachment?

EDIT: Yeah, taken in by rolling news who didn't check their story first. Turns out he authorised a different leak, but you have to wonder if he did it once whether he did it again later?!

: 06 Apr 2006 17:39 |  Tags: Breaking News Bush Libby Scandal |  Comments (4) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Who IS this man?

: 06 Apr 2006 15:02 |  Tags: Man Photo Question |  Comments (11) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Scaremongering

BIRD FLU'S HERE
BIRD FLU'S HERE
THE END IS NIGH
COS BIRD FLU'S HERE

Nice knowing you.

: 06 Apr 2006 14:13 |  Tags: Bird Flu |  Comments (10) |  Close comments |  Report a problem