Nick Clegg lists the ways in which the Coalition plans to spread wealth, growth and jobs across whole of UK

Comments

[JCS]

Clegg can`t defend the cuts in police, in benefits, in jobs because he can`t. There is no defence.

[michael mcgough]

I wonder what they think back home at Sheffield Forgemasters?

[Andrew]

How about reinstating the loan for Sheffield Forgemasters and allowing GM the £30m that they have requested for the manufacture of electric cars.

And cutting the £8 BILLION overseas aid budget and using the proceeds to invest in R&D and infrastructure AT HOME.

[It doesn't add up...]

Why can't Sheffield Forgemasters get their loan (it is a loan, not a grant?) from say RBS?

[It doesn't add up...]

£80m is only about 500 mortgages.

[Andrew]

Because the capital expenditure would not happen if not supported by the government through a reduced interest loan, even though the business would be profitable afterwards.

Airbus receives billions in launch aid. High speed trains require state investment. So do underground networks. So do low carbon emission technologies. Nuclear power would not even exist had in not been for massive state investment.

Why shouldn't Sheffield Forgemasters receive this assistance? The amount is very small in the context of government spending, and this will create very high value added economic activity and exports, and help to support the development of a new nuclear supply chain. Unlike much government spending this will pay for itself many times over, as the support for Airbus has.

[michael mcgough]

Is there not undercapacity for building nuclear kit ,with those having the capacity having extended order books.Perhaps this is part of top environmental scientist Huhne's policy to lead us into the industrial (and social) dark ages.Stock up on candles and get yourself a farting cow.
Bipolar government leading usup and down the garden path.

[libertarian]

@ Michael McGough

The Sheffield Forgemasters that make £2billion per year and who until this story broke were reporting record profits for the year on their website ( article strangely removed now).

Forgemasters are a private company and therefore should raise their own finance. They are planning to hire another 140 staff with this loan. Well if the taxpayer loans me £50 million I'll create 200 jobs.

They raised the finance from a private finance firm now anyway. It was another Labour pork barrel job

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Instead of sacking police why don't we sack all the bloody community support officers and teaching assistants. Who are these people?