Local tradesmen are busier than ever - what CoL crisis?

[Ivylea]

I’m just wondering if it’s like this everywhere else - we are trying to get hold of:

electrician
plumber
joiner
decorator
handyman
floor layer

And it is unbelievably difficult. Lots of enquiries are being met with “so sorry I have too much work on, I can’t take any more on.” If someone does agree to come to price up then they’re not turning up - they mustn’t need the work!

It’s fabulous that they are so busy (well, good for them if not so good for us), but I am confused how this is the case against a backdrop of a CoL crisis?

What an odd question

Why are you seemingly surprised that other people have a need for these trades, just like you do?

This has absolutely no relevance. One area being affluent does not mean poverty isn't real.

This.

That pillock Blair. 🤬
Too many kids doing soft degrees like media at uni! We NEED tradespeople.

I'm old enough to remember the last recession and tradespeople had a really good outcome because instead of moving or buying new things, people were renovating or maintaining their current properties instead. Not everyone suffers in a CoL crisis, some people do better.

Probably fewer tradesmen too as so many have gone bust or moved back to Poland.

50% of kids going to university is FUCKING BRILLIANT. It's great to aspire to have a well-educated population.

I agree they didn't also do enough to promote vocational qualifications but they didn't defund and fuck up education to the extent this lot have and left the education system in a far better place than they found it - whereas now schools are literally falling down and no-one wants to teach.

Blair left office in 2007 and the Tories have had thirteen years to fuck it all up. It will take one hell of a lot of unfucking.

The most massive fuck up of all was Brexit - can you find your previously wonderful and reliable Polish handyman? No, as he's gone home.

@Graciebobcat

50% of kids going to university is FUCKING BRILLIANT. It's great to aspire to have a well-educated population.

Have you researched how many drop out of University, it's a huge proportion!

Importing cheap foreign tradesmen was never more than a sticking plaster, just like the fiasco of the NHS relying on overseas trained nurses and doctors for the past few decades.

It wasn't just the last 13 years, the entire adult education system was disbanded under Blair's years meaning older people outside the 18-21 age group have VERY limited options for retraining etc at a later age.

Yes, let's have aspirations, but you can't simply cast aside the other 50% who aren't academic and had very little options for learnings trades or manual skills. That's what Blair did. All the emphasis on the "top" 50% and let the "Bottom" 50% languish, when lots of those could have been taught practical skills/trades and would be fully qualified/experienced tradesmen now, rather than languishing on the dole or doing mundane unskilled NMW work.

Cost of living is really Cost of Inequality.

Those who benefit from not spending £500 a month on train tickets as they now WFH have lots to benefit from. Those who could shop at Aldi instead of M&S can still have spare money. Its those at the bottom who have nowhere to go.