politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Damian Green – my 70/1 longshot to be next CON leader

ThreeQuidder said:

Beverley_C said:

Dadge said:

Interesting piece on Today this morning. Brexit-voting farm manager angry that Brexit is making it difficult to recruit

As the old proverb puts it... "Be careful what you wish for - you might get it"

Does "making it difficult to recruit" mean "he doesn't want to pay locals proper wages"?

No it means Tescos won't pay that for his produce because you and I won't pay for it at that level.

Casino_Royale said:

Richard_Nabavi said:

Hopefuly she is now also getting over what must have been the hugely confidence-sapping shock of the election disaster.

Yes, she's had to work through her seven stages of grief over that very quickly, and come up with an entirely different way of working and operating.

She's not there yet (not by a long stretch) but she's starting to get a grip.

I think the issue is that her character is well suited to chairing Cobra meetings and knocking civil-service heads together - talents which meant she was a good Home Secretary - but, for most of the time, being PM requires an altogether different set of skils. This is even more so when heading a minority government, which requires Wilsonian levels of wheeler-dealing and cajoling.

glw said:

Pro_Rata said:

The ideal net immigration numbers reduce that top heaviness in the short-term, but allow population to plateau and perhaps edge down slowly once baby boomers die off in greater numbers. The sweet spot for current net immigration is 100-150k per year, but obviously that would vary as the demographics develop.

I've no idea what the right level of immigration is, but it is going to put a huge strain on national resources if our population hits 70 million next decade and is still rising at a similar rate. I don't think many politicians have grasped the scale of the issue, we need to build at least a Birmingham's worth of everything every couple of years just to stand still, if we want to make up the deficit that has accrued we might need to nearly double that.

Equally, though, having an ever greater number of old people supported by a diminishing number of people of working age creates huge - if different - strains.

To maintain the ratio between workers and retirees you need either:

- a TFR of about 2.4 (against 1.8 today) - and that only stabilises the ratio in about 2060, and at a much worse level than today
- the retirment age increasing by four and a half months a year
or
- immigration of people of working age

Here is the report

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p056m1f5

Scott_P said:

SouthamObserver said:

Is it full-time work, or seasonal?

Packing Strawberries?

I am going to guess, seasonal.

Ha, ha - so it's never a job that a local is going to give up another job for, basically.

bigjohnowls said:

“At least 79 people are dead. It is both a tragedy and an outrage, because every single one of those deaths should and could have been avoided."

He added: “From Hillsborough to the child sex abuse scandal to Grenfell Tower, the pattern is consistent. Working class people’s voices are ignored, their concerns dismissed by those in power.

Yes, I remember Corbyn holding demonstrations outside of Rotherham Council when thousands of working class girls were subjected to mass rape. The outrage from the Left was palpable. Oh hang on.....

rcs1000 said:

To maintain the ratio between workers and retirees you need either:

- a TFR of about 2.4 (against 1.8 today) - and that only stabilises the ratio in about 2060, and at a much worse level than today
- the retirment age increasing by four and a half months a year
or
- immigration of people of working age

Is there a mix of those that would work well, or are we inevitably facing some sort of population boom and bust?

rcs1000 said:

GIN1138 said:

FPT

All this stuff about hard/soft Brexit seems pointless to me now the DUP have confirmed they are in favour of leaving the single market and customs union and will be voting with the government?

Even accounting for Con rebellions from the likes of Clarke and Soubry the government should still have the numbers for the Brexit they want (especially as you'll have a few people on the Labour side like Field and Hoey also voting with the government)

Looks like we're leaving the single market and customs union. The only question is whether there's any transitional arrangements and if so how long they last.

I think the DUP issue is that they are also committed to a "frictionless" border with the Republic of Ireland. If they have to choose between passport checks plus customs booths and single market/customs union, which way do they jump?

It's logical for the DUP not to back staying in the customs union as that would take away their leverage. At the moment they can play both sides off against each other by appearing to believe in the 'cake and eat it option'.

Sean_F said:

SouthamObserver said:

ThreeQuidder said:

Beverley_C said:

Dadge said:

Interesting piece on Today this morning. Brexit-voting farm manager angry that Brexit is making it difficult to recruit

As the old proverb puts it... "Be careful what you wish for - you might get it"

Does "making it difficult to recruit" mean "he doesn't want to pay locals proper wages"?

How much extra a week are you prepared to pay for your groceries to ensure British farmers employ British workers?

And in turn, how much are people prepared to pay a week to ensure that immigrants doing menial jobs live in good quality social housing, with the necessary infrastructure?

Yep - it's a complicated one. The good news is that the more businesses there are paying Corporation tax and the more people there paying income tax, the more can be spent on housing and other necessities; while the everyday demand created by incomers to an area also generates more return to the exchequer from established businesses there. The money to build a lot more social housing in London exists (see K&C cash reserves, for example), it's the will that is the problem.

rcs1000 said:

Sandpit said:

Scott_P said:

SouthamObserver said:

If British consumers were prepared to pay higher prices, farmers could pay higher wages and would not be so dependent on cheap foreign labour. We're not, though.

Apparently he pays above minimum wage, with free accommodation

Given that 40% of our 18-22 year olds are at university, what exactly do they now do all summer?

Glastonbury, Latitude, T in the Park, BST, and LoveBox

So it seems. Whatever happened to the days of finding all sorts of crappy jobs to earn next year's beer money during the summer?

Bobajob_PB said:

SouthamObserver said:

rcs1000 said:

GIN1138 said:

FPT

All this stuff about hard/soft Brexit seems pointless to me now the DUP have confirmed they are in favour of leaving the single market and customs union and will be voting with the government?

Even accounting for Con rebellions from the likes of Clarke and Soubry the government should still have the numbers for the Brexit they want (especially as you'll have a few people on the Labour side like Field and Hoey also voting with the government)

Looks like we're leaving the single market and customs union. The only question is whether there's any transitional arrangements and if so how long they last.

I think the DUP issue is that they are also committed to a "frictionless" border with the Republic of Ireland. If they have to choose between passport checks plus customs booths and single market/customs union, which way do they jump?

Or customs checks on the UK mainland for flights and ships coming from NI - which is the easiest way to ensure a frictionless border between north and south.

A hard border between two parts of the UK? I can see that being popular with unionists.

Exactly!

SouthamObserver said:

Scott_P said:

SouthamObserver said:

Ha, ha - so it's never a job that a local is going to give up another job for, basically.

Why would a local have to give up another job?

Are you really claiming there are no local unemployed or seasonally available workers? Really?

There would be a very great disincentive for anyone who is unemployed to take a very limited seasonal job under the current system. Whether there are specific seasonally available workers or not in a given area, I don't know. I guess it depends on the season. Students are mostly still at college in may and early June, aren't they?

Most students these days are done by the beginning of june as we discussed in relation to GE. Lots of shall we say lesser unis start in September rather than October and finish earlier, normally due to running a US style semester system, rather than traditional 3 term system.

https://twitter.com/polhomeeditor/status/877835610303508480

Scott_P said:

Pulpstar said:

"UK summer fruit and salad growers are having difficulty recruiting pickers according to a BBC survey."

Wrong type of immigrants ?

Worth reading all the responses to this

https://twitter.com/zoeconway1/status/877801383281524736

Yes because since the flood of migrants they have reduced the conditions so much a brit with family living here couldn't possibly afford to work there, e.g. they used to pay per hour now it is fake "self-employed".

So no guarantee of wages.

Somehow the strawberries didn't rot in the fields before the A8 countries joinded, but now greedy welfare farmers want ever cheaper labour who work under increasingly worse conditions.

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/polhomeeditor/status/877835610303508480

Watershed moment. There will be civil unrest over this.

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/polhomeeditor/status/877835610303508480

That doesn't seem consistent with this:

Combustible cladding has been found on at least three tower blocks across the UK, the government has said.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2017/jun/22/hammond-suggests-brexit-transitional-period-could-last-up-to-four-years-politics-live

11:11

Maybe the 600 figure refers to all types of cladding? i.e. that there are 600 blocks which need to be inspected.

FrancisUrquhart said:

rcs1000 said:

Sandpit said:

Scott_P said:

SouthamObserver said:

If British consumers were prepared to pay higher prices, farmers could pay higher wages and would not be so dependent on cheap foreign labour. We're not, though.

Apparently he pays above minimum wage, with free accommodation

Given that 40% of our 18-22 year olds are at university, what exactly do they now do all summer?

Glastonbury, Latitude, T in the Park, BST, and LoveBox

Download, reading, Leeds, isle of wight, bestival,...

many students actually have part-time jobs and they increase their hours during this time,crazy I know.....

I don't think pb could be more out of touch. But then again they did think the Social care policy was a good idea and wouldn't lose any votes in the south.....LOL.

glw said:

rcs1000 said:

To maintain the ratio between workers and retirees you need either:

- a TFR of about 2.4 (against 1.8 today) - and that only stabilises the ratio in about 2060, and at a much worse level than today
- the retirment age increasing by four and a half months a year
or
- immigration of people of working age

Is there a mix of those that would work well, or are we inevitably facing some sort of population boom and bust?

I've always favoured free vodka, cocaine and cigarettes for the over 60s as a way of solving the ageing population problem :-)

More seriously, the first and most important thing is to begin the process of allowing the retirement age to creep up. By 2030, nobody should be collecting a pension before the age of 70. This doesn't solve the problem of health benefits, but it cuts pension costs and increases the overall pool of labour issue.

We also need to do more to get the birth rate up, especially as the recent increase in the TFR has been concentrated in immigrant communities. (Over 50% of babies born in London are to families where at least one parent is an immigrant.) So, if you reduce the flow of fertile foreigners, you risk having fewer babies. I would, however, suggest that we adopt the French taxation system, where families are taxed and kids bring their own "tax allowance". (This means that a French family with three kids don't pay any tax on their first €50,000 of income, and are on only about 20% up to €150,000).

Finally, we do need to be an attractive place for the world's brightest and best to come. Attitudes matter. The fact that the number of EU nurses applying for jobs in the UK has fallen 96% since the Brexit vote tells you that the UK appears a much less welcoming place.

williamglenn said:

Remember the Japanese government's paper on Brexit which demanded we stay in the customs union and single market and stay under the EU regulatory umbrella?

http://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000185466.pdf

Now it seems Japanese business is starting to take matters into its own hands:

https://twitter.com/business/status/877765607780868096

Shocked.

Did any PBer warn that some in the financial services industry might relocate from the UK after Brexit?

*Innocent Face*

dyedwoolie said:

Thousands of you have been corralled into potential death traps that are that way so as to look pretty to your betters in private homes.
How the f... do you sell that as a Government?!

Oh, for God's sake. Not only is this puerile and offensive nonsense in its own right, it's also completely irresponsible.

Bobajob_PB said:

kurtjester said:

Bobajob_PB said:

Sandpit said:

O/T, national rail ticket reservations systems down today?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/22/rail-ticket-machines-across-uk-broken-causing-fury-millions/

Pisspoor management. They should have opened the gates and let people on without tickets until fixed. Instead, they made thousands late for work.

That said, the fact that we are STILL using paper tickets in this day and age is utterly farcical. The public sector railways (e.g. London Underground) are streets ahead of the private sector – which are still functioning like 1960s branch lines, with their bits of card, queues and antiquated technology.

Privatised South West Trains use Smart Card and Oyster. And lets not forget that National Rail inherited their 'antiquated' ticketing structure from the public sector British Rail.

British Rail hasn't existed in any form since 1997. That was two decades ago. And yes, a few chunks of the franchised system have – kicking and screaming – Oysterised. But it took them ages and they are still in a tiny minority.

Many of British Rail's public sector values still run deep within the railway industry. BT is another classic example of entrenched views clinging on.

rcs1000 said:

More seriously, the first and most important thing is to begin the process of allowing the retirement age to creep up. By 2030, nobody should be collecting a pension before the age of 70. This doesn't solve the problem of health benefits, but it cuts pension costs and increases the overall pool of labour issue.

I think that encouraging people to work longer would almost certainly improve their health as well.

Richard_Nabavi said:

Combustible cladding has been found on at least three tower blocks across the UK, the government has said.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2017/jun/22/hammond-suggests-brexit-transitional-period-could-last-up-to-four-years-politics-live

11:11

Maybe the 600 figure refers to all types of cladding? i.e. that there are 600 blocks which need to be inspected.

Yes

@MrHarryCole: Huge story. No10 confirm 3 samples of combustible cladding already found on buildings in Eng - but 600 ! have similar. How did this happen?

Richard_Nabavi said:

rcs1000 said:

More seriously, the first and most important thing is to begin the process of allowing the retirement age to creep up. By 2030, nobody should be collecting a pension before the age of 70. This doesn't solve the problem of health benefits, but it cuts pension costs and increases the overall pool of labour issue.

I think that encouraging people to work longer would almost certainly improve their health as well.

Agreed.

SouthamObserver said:

nunu said:

Scott_P said:

Pulpstar said:

"UK summer fruit and salad growers are having difficulty recruiting pickers according to a BBC survey."

Wrong type of immigrants ?

Worth reading all the responses to this

https://twitter.com/zoeconway1/status/877801383281524736

Yes because since the flood of migrants they have reduced the conditions so much a brit with family living here couldn't possibly afford to work there, e.g. they used to pay per hour now it is fake "self-employed".

So no guarantee of wages.

Somehow the strawberries didn't rot in the fields before the A8 countries joinded, but now greedy welfare farmers want ever cheaper labour who work under increasingly worse conditions.

Strawberries used to be a luxury product and a lot more expensive than they are now. They did not rot, but there were far fewer of them and people paid an awful lot more for the pleasure of eating them.

SouthamObserver said:

nunu said:

Scott_P said:

Pulpstar said:

"UK summer fruit and salad growers are having difficulty recruiting pickers according to a BBC survey."

Wrong type of immigrants ?

Worth reading all the responses to this

https://twitter.com/zoeconway1/status/877801383281524736

Yes because since the flood of migrants they have reduced the conditions so much a brit with family living here couldn't possibly afford to work there, e.g. they used to pay per hour now it is fake "self-employed".

So no guarantee of wages.

Somehow the strawberries didn't rot in the fields before the A8 countries joinded, but now greedy welfare farmers want ever cheaper labour who work under increasingly worse conditions.

Strawberries used to be a luxury product and a lot more expensive than they are now. They did not rot, but there were far fewer of them and people paid an awful lot more for the pleasure of eating them.

Pick-Your-Own used to be popular in Essex. Never see signs nowadays.

dyedwoolie said:

Thousands of you have been corralled into potential death traps that are that way so as to look pretty to your betters in private homes.
How the f... do you sell that as a Government?!

dyedwoolie said:

Thousands of you have been corralled into potential death traps that are that way so as to look pretty to your betters in private homes.
How the f... do you sell that as a Government?!

I'm sure that most of us live in houses and flats that don't comply with modern best practice in terms of fire safety. But, that's a risk that many of us are prepared to take.

FrancisUrquhart said:

One thing I think the government had got wrong with increase in retirement age is to continue the notion of one day 40hrs a week, the next nothing. They should be encouraging an approach where people gradually reduce down hours in their 60s.

They could put TMay on a three day week and rotate potential successors for the rest of the time?

Sean_F said:

dyedwoolie said:

Thousands of you have been corralled into potential death traps that are that way so as to look pretty to your betters in private homes.
How the f... do you sell that as a Government?!

I'm sure that most of us live in houses and flats that don't comply with modern best practice in terms of fire safety. But, that's a risk that many of us are prepared to take.

The standards in a tower block simply have to be higher though. I know my hob isn't strictly to standard, but I have a very good chance to get out through the bathroom window should my misses somehow set the house on fire whilst cooking downstairs.
It is different when you're on the 15th floor up in a flat.

Bobajob_PB said:

kurtjester said:

Bobajob_PB said:

kurtjester said:

Bobajob_PB said:

Sandpit said:

O/T, national rail ticket reservations systems down today?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/22/rail-ticket-machines-across-uk-broken-causing-fury-millions/

Pisspoor management. They should have opened the gates and let people on without tickets until fixed. Instead, they made thousands late for work.

That said, the fact that we are STILL using paper tickets in this day and age is utterly farcical. The public sector railways (e.g. London Underground) are streets ahead of the private sector – which are still functioning like 1960s branch lines, with their bits of card, queues and antiquated technology.

Privatised South West Trains use Smart Card and Oyster. And lets not forget that National Rail inherited their 'antiquated' ticketing structure from the public sector British Rail.

British Rail hasn't existed in any form since 1997. That was two decades ago. And yes, a few chunks of the franchised system have – kicking and screaming – Oysterised. But it took them ages and they are still in a tiny minority.

Many of British Rail's public sector values still run deep within the railway industry. BT is another classic example of entrenched views clinging on.

LOL. Only an arch privatiser could excuse the failures of the franchising shambles on a public body that ceased to exist 20 years ago. Your argument is undermined somewhat by the fact that the nationalised TfL is integrated, ticketless and cashless – including the buses. Only tourists buy a ticket despite being implored not to by endless PA announcements. The franchises are backward.

Oh for the heady days of British Rail. Filthy, dangerous and ancient rolling stock, dwindling passenger numbers and multiple fatalities.

Richard_Nabavi said:

dyedwoolie said:

Thousands of you have been corralled into potential death traps that are that way so as to look pretty to your betters in private homes.
How the f... do you sell that as a Government?!

Oh, for God's sake. Not only is this puerile and offensive nonsense in its own right, it's also completely irresponsible.

The point is that this is how it will be perceived. It's a natural leap from where we are and how things have been. It's a disgrace, there can't really be any other conclusion.
And I make no bones about stating what I think will be the reaction, it's something the country needs to be ready for and address.

In fact here is the actual statement:

"Hundreds of tower blocks in England could be covered in similar cladding to Glenfell Tower, councils have estimated.

So far tests have revealed that combustible cladding has been found on at least three tower blocks across the UK, the government has said.

But Downing Street said English councils estimated that 600 high-rise buildings used similar cladding to the block in west London which was the scene of tragedy last week."
(Guardian blog)

rcs1000 said:

Slackbladder said:

So 600 buildings with say 150 flats in each. That's 90,000 new homes.. good luck with rehousing that.

I would happily live on the top floor of a flat with combustible cladding. Frankly, the risk is tiny, especially as we all now know to evacuate immediately in the event of fire.

Let's remediate as best we can, but there's really no need to go around panicing. Of the 23,000 clad high rise tower blocks in Europe, how many have had major fire issues in the last decade?

No, we don't all know that, and it's irresponsible to say so. In some cases it's better to stay put when there's a fire. The rule is still to follow instructions, albeit that there are obviously circumstances when a decision must be taken to disobey them.

rottenborough said:

dyedwoolie said:

kurtjester said:

dyedwoolie said:

Scott_P said:

https://twitter.com/polhomeeditor/status/877835610303508480

Watershed moment. There will be civil unrest over this.

Whipped up by Momentum and Labour, should it happen. Would you prefer HMG kept things quiet?

I'm not salivating, I merely foretell.

Hold on. The key word is 'similar'. The issue, as far as we know so far, is that some of these types of cladding are fire resistant and others aren't.

Fair enough. I perhaps reacted with something of a horrified knee jerk. Just feels like the whole issue is seen as something of an inconvenience, when it is potentially a very grave matter.

Slackbladder said:

So 600 buildings with say 150 flats in each. That's 90,000 new homes.. good luck with rehousing that.

There are a lot of individual statements out there from local authorities. I've seen Kirklees (4 tower blocks, no confirmation on cladding types, though I think 3 have been clad), Sheffield (24 blocks, all 21 clad blocks specified rock wool). If these scale typically for cities / smaller metros then, even allowing for London, hard to see how you would reach 600 dangerously clad blocks.

kurtjester said:

Bobajob_PB said:

kurtjester said:

Bobajob_PB said:

kurtjester said:

Bobajob_PB said:

Sandpit said:

O/T, national rail ticket reservations systems down today?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/22/rail-ticket-machines-across-uk-broken-causing-fury-millions/

Pisspoor management. They should have opened the gates and let people on without tickets until fixed. Instead, they made thousands late for work.

That said, the fact that we are STILL using paper tickets in this day and age is utterly farcical. The public sector railways (e.g. London Underground) are streets ahead of the private sector – which are still functioning like 1960s branch lines, with their bits of card, queues and antiquated technology.

Privatised South West Trains use Smart Card and Oyster. And lets not forget that National Rail inherited their 'antiquated' ticketing structure from the public sector British Rail.

British Rail hasn't existed in any form since 1997. That was two decades ago. And yes, a few chunks of the franchised system have – kicking and screaming – Oysterised. But it took them ages and they are still in a tiny minority.

Many of British Rail's public sector values still run deep within the railway industry. BT is another classic example of entrenched views clinging on.

LOL. Only an arch privatiser could excuse the failures of the franchising shambles on a public body that ceased to exist 20 years ago. Your argument is undermined somewhat by the fact that the nationalised TfL is integrated, ticketless and cashless – including the buses. Only tourists buy a ticket despite being implored not to by endless PA announcements. The franchises are backward.

Oh for the heady days of British Rail. Filthy, dangerous and ancient rolling stock, dwindling passenger numbers and multiple fatalities.

As a non regular rail user my main objection to nationalisation is that it may well long term cost me more.
But East Coast Mainline, the tubes and the fact alot of our rail is effectively owned by foreign governments in some form or another (Deutsche Bahn) put paid to the idea it would go back to the "bad old days of British Rail" in my mind.
I think it would work, and work well for rail users - wouldn't trust Corbyn to implement it though treble pay rises all round for the unions. Mind you with Southern seems that may well happen in the private sector...

For the government two things work in their favour:

1. If this is an endemic problem then it won't have materialised in 2010 and hence all governments can be found responsible.

2. Notwithstanding Pt.1, having withstood an onslaught of legitimate and less legitimate attacks over the past two weeks, I'm not sure anything can bring the govt down and any new news will be put into the existing pot.

That said, they need to do something pretty bold and inspired now and I'm not sure that included buying luxury blocks of flats for those people up and down the country.

@JosiasJessop any ideas?

rcs1000 said:

Slackbladder said:

So 600 buildings with say 150 flats in each. That's 90,000 new homes.. good luck with rehousing that.

I would happily live on the top floor of a flat with combustible cladding. Frankly, the risk is tiny, especially as we all now know to evacuate immediately in the event of fire.

Let's remediate as best we can, but there's really no need to go around panicing. Of the 23,000 clad high rise tower blocks in Europe, how many have had major fire issues in the last decade?

But how do we know when there's a fire, if all that's in the building are domestic smoke alarms rather than a building-wide fire monitored control system? Reports from Grenfell said that people were woken up by shouting but the alarm in their apartment didn't go off until they opened their door and let the smoke in!

The problem with a building-wide system is that it needs a security guard on site to react to it, or you end up evacuating the whole building every time someone burns their toast.

dyedwoolie said:

Thousands of you have been corralled into potential death traps that are that way so as to look pretty to your betters in private homes.
How the f... do you sell that as a Government?!

Rubbish.

TOPPING said:

For the government two things work in their favour:

1. If this is an endemic problem then it won't have materialised in 2010 and hence all governments can be found responsible.

2. Notwithstanding Pt.1, having withstood an onslaught of legitimate and less legitimate attacks over the past two weeks, I'm not sure anything can bring the govt down and any new news will be put into the existing pot.

That said, they need to do something pretty bold and inspired now and I'm not sure that included buying luxury blocks of flats for those people up and down the country.

@JosiasJessop any ideas?

Luxury blocks covered in cladding. Would Lily Allen be protesting if one of those went up in flames?

dyedwoolie said:

currystar said:

dyedwoolie said:

Thousands of you have been corralled into potential death traps that are that way so as to look pretty to your betters in private homes.
How the f... do you sell that as a Government?!

Do you really think that they have clad these buildings to make them look pretty?

Well it sure wasn't for fire safety was it?!

The main purpose of cladding is insulation. It's a good thing, because tower blocks have been plagued with damp in the past. But, if the cladding is flammable, it's going to have to be taken down and replaced.

williamglenn said:

Scott_P said:

@BBCVickiYoung: Remember the estimate of 600 high rise buildings with cladding similar to #Grenfell Tower is England only

Weren't a load of tower blocks in Glasgow demolished as part of a regeneration programme?

They certainly flattened most of the Gorbals about a decade ago, replaced with low rise apartments of 4-6 floors.

ThreeQuidder said:

Beverley_C said:

Dadge said:

Interesting piece on Today this morning. Brexit-voting farm manager angry that Brexit is making it difficult to recruit

As the old proverb puts it... "Be careful what you wish for - you might get it"

Does "making it difficult to recruit" mean "he doesn't want to pay locals proper wages"?

He pays 7.50 plus bonus. So better money than most "living wage" jobs.

Pulpstar said:

Sean_F said:

dyedwoolie said:

Thousands of you have been corralled into potential death traps that are that way so as to look pretty to your betters in private homes.
How the f... do you sell that as a Government?!

I'm sure that most of us live in houses and flats that don't comply with modern best practice in terms of fire safety. But, that's a risk that many of us are prepared to take.

The standards in a tower block simply have to be higher though. I know my hob isn't strictly to standard, but I have a very good chance to get out through the bathroom window should my misses somehow set the house on fire whilst cooking downstairs.
It is different when you're on the 15th floor up in a flat.

I think the cladding has to be checked, and if it's flammable, then it must be replaced.

But, most fire deaths and injuries don't take place in tower blocks.

More:

three samples were found to be combustible after tests on a “small number” of specimens.

If it's three out of a 'small number' tested so far, that does suggest we might be talking about a chunky number out of the 600 they are checking.