Comments on: This is what happens when foreign companies own British industry

By: Trudy

Trudy — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:50:06 +0000

There is a coupon in the Mail today requesting you to keep Cadbury's British. It is going to be sent to Peter Mandelson by the Mail. I asked for this and also told him I would be voting BNP next time as Nick Griffin is an honourable man.

By: Powys

Powys — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:41:01 +0000

I want everyone to clearly understand that when a British company is destroyed by a foreign takeover, that our ability to maintain our standard of living is immediately placed in danger. Wealth is what sustains us and wealth is ONLY created by the private sector. Governments can provide some jobs, but they are essentially a drag on the economy — they create no weath and only impose a burden on the taxpayer. We must therefore do everything within our power to ensure that the "goose which lays the golden egg" remains among us and is healthy — because OUR future depends on its well-being.

By: Powys

Powys — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:34:24 +0000

The venerable Cadbury's is about to be taken over by Kraft, that American purveyer of plastic cheese, and, once again a quality symbol of Britain will be killed off. I recall when British Pilkinton Glass (they invented float glass) was taken over by yet another American corporate giant with access to vast amounts of borrowed money. The game goes like this: identify quality, buy up using financial leverage, gut the resources, ideas, patents and market share, then exploit the new advantage while discarding all the people and management that are no longer required. This is more than capitalism at work, it is a form of imperialism and the so-called "global" corportations are in reality vultures and scavengers preying on those companies which lack the financial clout to fend off hostile takeovers.

By: Powys

Powys — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:27:15 +0000

What Nick Griffin has pointed out in this article is absolutely dead on! I am sure that many of you remember Wilkinson Sword razor blades, but if not, here is what happened. Wilkinson developed the world's best razor blades and had the Duke of Edinburgh's Award conferred for excellence. Along came an an American company, let us call it Gillette, and using their access to vast amounts of leveraged debt, were able to buy up Wilkinson razor. Once having access to the manufacturing secrets, Gillette ceased British production, took over Wilkinson's share of the market, and, one more British industry bit the dust. This story has been repeated thousands of times and it MUST stop because our manufacturing genious is the key to producing future wealth and prosperity.

By: Peter Gun

Peter Gun — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:40:16 +0000

… but should Britain stop all Chinese imports, China's economy will make a record-breaking head-long run into the buffers.

By: Peter Gun

Peter Gun — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:28:11 +0000

Whenever I hear someone moaning they lost their job due to cheap foreign labour, or their firm closing-down or moving abroad, I always ask, did they vote for the BNP during MEP Elections. If the answer is "No. I voted for (whoever else)" I tell them bluntly they deserve all they get. If the answer is "I don't/never vote" I tell them they haven't earned the right to complain, and they deserve all they get, unless the start voting for the BNP, when given the chance.

By: Peter Gun

Peter Gun — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:01:23 +0000

… given a BNP government, that reverse is going to happen, and the vindictive scum behind the CPO of the `Ace of Diamond' will be picking up all the bills, however unlike pauljames's observation "the poor sucker gets a crap valuation" (meaning Sweet FA), those bills will be estimated skywards.

By: Jackaranda

Jackaranda — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:13:44 +0000

This is what happens when people don't vote BNP – but that is now rapidly changing.

By: geminikev

geminikev — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:02:39 +0000

And what happened to Imperial Chemical Industries? Sold to the Dutch in 2009.
Brooklands racing Circuit, owned by Mercedes Benz, (Payback for us bombing them?)
Rolls-Royce?, Bentley? etc etc.
Bring on Right Wing Politics, Its not doing any harm at all to Hu Jin Tao and his 1.3 billion Chinese, its called benign dictatorship, we've got Scumbag Brown and his Socialist Dictatorship. Yuck!

By: Bazalgette

Bazalgette — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:53:28 +0000

The banksters must be laughing at the rest of us. Here they have a new commodity, carbon credits, that doesn't really exist, except to buy and sell; Nothing to guard or deteriorate; Infinite; All based on a 'big lie'.

By: pauljames

pauljames — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:45:22 +0000

I see that "sleeping soundly" Johnson has refused to stop the extradition of that gormless hacker to America! Compared to the injustices perpertrated on the British this move is out of all proportion to his alleged crimes! If the boot was on the other foot,America wouldnt be so forthcoming. We refused to send scum like Hamza and other hate mongers to face proper justice abroad but act hard line on our own!

By: pauljames

pauljames — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:35:59 +0000

Before they joined the EU,Spain made every thing themselves even the Spanish Seat versian of Fiat.Since then and even in America all the souveniers are made in China!

By: Terry

Terry — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:37:36 +0000

You are right, in that they cannot understand our needs, but I really don't think that understand is the operative word. I believe it should be replaced with another word. Then it would read How can we expect a foreigner to CARE. As long as their own countries are OK, that is all that matters to them. I do not mind that, it can be called patriotism. As long as they stay there in their own third world cess pits, and stop turning or once proud first world country into one as well.

By: Goodsense

Goodsense — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:44:52 +0000

It's very simple. To survive any country must grow/make enought for most of it's own needs and have a sufficient surplus to trade for what it cannot grow/make. If you can't do that you will not prosper. Also and slightly ot but it did make an impression. Commentators to this article include, 2 technical translators, an engineer, lab. chemist, electrician and a gentlemen who worked in research and development. Strange definition of knuckle-draggers don't you think?

By: Brian Cosworth

Brian Cosworth — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:42:36 +0000

I think the BNP need to teach Nu-Labor and the unions just what NATIONALISATION means.

By: TruePatriot

TruePatriot — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:46:04 +0000

Forgot to mention:

Jaguar -> Ford (USA) -> Tata (India)
Land Rover -> Ford (USA) -> Tata (India)

By: TruePatriot

TruePatriot — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:43:51 +0000

In my opinion, I think that the reason that we are in this situation is because too many foreign venture capitalist firms are allowed to buy large chunks of British companies shares. When the share price is right, they bully the British board of directors into a corner because they know that they have the upper hand.

Cadbury's was fine as it was with it's majority British shareholder base, until Kraft came along with an offer. As soon as the news of Kraft's offer for Cadbury's hit the street, large Venture Capitalist firms from America swooped in like vultures and bought up a large chunk of the company's shares. Now Cadbury's is fighting for its life to avoid a foreign takeover. It has to hope that the remaining chunk of the company that is owned by British shareholders, totals enough to fight off the number owned by American shareholders. The British want to keep things as they are, meanwhile, the Americans want to cash in as quickly as possible to kill Cadbury's and walk away with a nice fat cheque.

By: TruePatriot

TruePatriot — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:43:43 +0000

Other examples of British Giants that have been sold off:

ICI -> Akzo Nobel (Holland)
Pilkington Glass -> Nippon Sheet Glass (Japan)
Scottish & Newcastle -> Carlsberg (Denmark) & Heineken (Holland)
BOC -> Linde (Germany)
Mini & Rolls Royce -> BMW (Germany)
Bentley -> Volkswagen (Germany)
Boots -> KKR (USA)

The next big scalp could be when the board at Cadbury's gives in to offer's made by either Kraft (USA), Ferrero (Italy), Hershey (USA), or Nestle (Switzerland). Lets hope they stay strong and keep the company out of foreign hands.

By: FunkeeDrewster

FunkeeDrewster — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:30:50 +0000

In 2006 Harry Ramsden's joined the long list of British brands passing into foreign ownership. The fish and chip chain, founded in a hut in Guiseley near Leeds in 1928, was included in Compass's sale of its service station business, Moto, to an Australian bank and Swedish investors. Dubai-based companies have taken over the Madam Tussauds group and the ferry company P&O – ending more than 100 years of British ownership. The French cosmetics group L'Oreal consumed The Body Shop, while the glassmaker Pilkington, Abbey National bank and the mobile phone company O2 have all been sold abroad. Even the London Stock Exchange has been fighting off foreign bids, and takeover gossip swirls around names such as ITV and Cadbury's. Wedgwood went bust this year as did Woolworths. Add to this the roll-call of foreign-owned UK brands: Rover, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Jaguar and Aston Martin, The Times, Hamleys (once the worlds biggest toy store), Harrods, The Savoy hotel, Manchester United, Chelsea FC, Rowntree, Thames water, OXO, Weetabix, HP sauce. What's next, Buckingham Palace?

By: wytryert

wytryert — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:07:04 +0000

I've got on this board a bit late, But It happened to Nu-Swift fire extinguishers too. They used to supply the Royal Navy, & shipped there goods all over the world…..you guessed it .Bought out by a french company, & years later shut down.. Big factory employing all local people… same senario, Brothers uncles Aunties & sisters year after year in the work force…… Replaced with…………. Nothing. Along with Gannex rain coats, endorsed by Traitor Harold wilson & worn by the Police force, Gone. & the dozens of woolen Mills, My home town will never be the same. That being said, We are only one of a great many to suffer the same fate.