Thread: Buy British from Bombardier and not from Siemens in Germany

Originally Posted by angelman

Quite right. Inspite of what producers say, our wine really isn't up to scratch.

Really!

You'd better inform the judges at these international competitions that they've got it wrong then.

Denbies Chalk Ridge Rosé 2010 was awarded the gold award at the International Wine Challenge on Tuesday, beating competition from 366 other entries coming from 21 different countries.
Dorking rosé puts English wine on world map - News - getsurrey

Chapel Down's sparkling Rosé Vintage Reserve Brut NV recently picked up a gold award at this year's International Wine Challenge.
Treasury Secretary says English wine has 'bright future'

Grape Britain: Every thing's rosy for English rosé as two vineyards scoop top prizes at the wine world 'Oscars'
Grape Britain: Every thing's rosy for English Rose as two vineyards scoop top prizes at the wine world 'Oscars' | Mail Online

Balfour Brut Rosé 2004 wins Gold Award at The International Wine Challenge 2008

This was the first ever vintage of Balfour Brut Rosé. The Panel Chairmen included the best of the best; Masters of Wine, winemakers and experienced wine writers. They supported the five Co-Chairmen - Charles Metcalfe, Derek Smedley MW, Sam Harrop MW, Tim Atkin MW and 2008's International Co-Chairman was New Zealand's Bob Campbell MW.

2009 Decanter World Wide Awards

In May 2009 Balfour Brut Rosé 2005 was awarded a Gold Medal and the first Trophy ever awarded to an English Wine in the Decanter World Wine Awards.

2008 Effervescent Du Monde

Balfour Brut Rosé 2005 wins a silver medal in the 2008 Effervescent Du Monde. This is an international competition between the Best Sparkling Wines in the World.

International Wine and Spirit Competition in 2010

Balfour Brut Rosé 2006 is awarded silver (Best in Class) at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in 2010.
Hush Heath - Balfour Brut Rosé - Awards

Sparkling white wine scoops gold
A sparkling white wine produced in Surrey has won the only gold award in a record haul for English wines at an international competition.
The Greenfields Sparkling Cuvee 2003, from the Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, scooped a top prize at the International Wine Challenge.
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Surrey | Sparkling white wine scoops gold

Best English Wine Delivery Throughout UK & Europe

LE, without wanting to get into a wine bore conversation, I would say that wine is my job and I have been involved in making it both in this country and overseas. When I said "not up to scratch" maybe I should have said that they aren't the best in the world or world beaters.

Medals are nice if you win them, but are a marketing tool that a lot of producers do not feel necessary to have as it is a little expensive to enter and they can sell their wines on merit without the aid of any medals. As an aside, I always find it a little strange when people plaster their bottles with silver medals, as it presumably means that the wine isn't as good as it should be.

There is nothing more that I would like to see than a hugely successful wine industry in this country. We can make nice wines, but unfortunately they are usually too expensive, and cannot compete with other areas of the world. Our white wine that we ourselves made in the late 80s early 90s really was quite good. I took a bottle out to France and gave to a chateau owner and he refused to believe that it was English: probably that was down to the perception that Englnad makes gnats wee. Balfour Brut Rosé 2006 might well have won best in class (do you know what class that was?) but, if one ignores price, are you sure that it would be better than, say, Billecart Salmon Cuvee Elisabeth Salmon Rosé which I doubt entered any competition and therefore could not win a medal? Anyway, it's all subjective.

I recall a Japanese client approaching me a few years ago. He asked whether I could provide an English wine at about £5 that could compete with a French and Spanish one. I tried, I really did. I sent a few wines out - it was difficult to find many at that price - including Denbies. The results of their tasting unfortunately were not a surprise, and they stuck with France.

If you were in my neck of the woods, I would love to crack a bottle of English with you and also an alternative from somewhere else.

Redhand

During Prime Ministers Questions 13th July 2011 Geoffrey Robinson MP tried to ask the Prime Minister to reconsider the Bombardier contract. He is a Labour MP and said 20,000 jobs were at risk if the contract went to Germany.

He could not finish his question to the Prime Minister because the Conservative MPs were booing, yelling and shouting him down.

This was disgraceful conduct by Conservative MPs and shows that they will use any tactic to stop this issue being discussed in the House of Commons. They are totally pro the European Union and have no interest in saving the 20,000 jobs in Derby and component suppliers around the country.

Originally Posted by Redhand

Is it 1,400 jobs or 20,000 jobs ?

1400 was the figure for Bombardier, as we all well know. What is harder to tell, as we also all we know, is the fall out from this and how many other people get laid off who were tied to or relied on the work at Bombardier. This might be the supply chain, cleaners, caterers, IT support, delivery people, etc etc etc. Are you thinking that the loss of a major employer is not going to have a wider affect in the community?

Originally Posted by Redhand

Is it 1,400 jobs or 20,000 jobs ? And is the contract awarded to the EU or a German Company ? And do balance sheets and borrowing costs matter or not in any bid ?

Redhand

To every manufacturing base there is a supply chain of component factories, services, shops and local businesses that rely on customers from those factories for their trade. It is this supply chain that brings the jobs total up to 20,000 as estimated by the influential Labour MP Geoffrey Robinson.

Large contracts within the European Union, have to go through an open EU wide bidding process because of EU Regualtions on the Single Market. After the bidding process the contract was awarded to Siemens a huge German company.

The EU regulated bidding process has to take into account the companies balance sheet and the borrowing cost of the bidding companies.

Bombardier matched the contract price, but lost out on the size of it balance sheet and its borrowing cost because it was a smaller company.

Redhand

When Geoffrey Robinson MP tried to get an answer to these questions in the House of Commons on 13th July 2011 at Prime Ministers questions, he could not be heard because the Conservative MPs were booing, yelling and shouting him down. The Conservative MPs did not want the Bombardier contract issue discussed in parliament. This was totally disgraceful conduct from elected members of parliament.

Saw this on the UKIP sub-forum which links to this.......Call for Siemens probe over UK job losses - UK Independence Party