The Insider
Thanet & East Kent Insider, 3rd July 2010
1. Chidren In Care, Children In Need
In last week’s Thanet & East Kent Insider, we asked readers for comments on the economic impact of foster care in Thanet. We have received a lively correspondence which emphasizes the benefits to local families and businesses of the increased income coming to the district. There has also been much criticism of some of the negative publicity that has recently been appearing in the local press. One correspondent referring to a local head teacher’s use of the word ‘dumped’ went so far as to write, “I really take exception to the use of the word ‘dumped’ and wonder what it might feel like, firstly to be a child who needs to be in foster care, secondly to be referred to as ‘dumped’ and thirdly to realise that you are unwelcome in the community that has been chosen to be your home.” Thanet and East Kent in general has a long history of offering a warm welcome to tourists, to visitors and to immigrant workers who are prepared to arrive on time and do a good job for their employer. The East Kent coastal business community will surely want to encourage inward investors with a more positive outloook. Readers may be assured that the Thanet & East Kent Insider will never refer to vulnerable children as being ‘dumped’.
Thanet & East Kent Insider, 26th June 2010
1. The Budget
The emergency budget of 22nd June 2010 has significant implications for all businesses in the East Kent coastal business community. An initial telephone survey of members welcomed the broad outlines of the emergency measures announced by the Chancellor, George Osborne, although the broad brush approach over-painted some issues vital to the regeneration of our local economy. Firstly, companies of all sizes seem to welcome the common sense implicit in balancing the national account by 2015/16. As one Chamber member put it, “Any school child will tell you that if you receive £5 of pocket money each week and continually spend £6, eventually your mum and dad are going to think twice about funding your prolificacy.” This is reasonable as without credible measures to reduce debt, the country would face potentially huge costs from increased interest payments. Also, anyone who can use the word ‘prolificacy’ at eight o’clock in the morning deserves to have his views treated with respect. Secondly, the emphasis on the private sector is good news for the wealth creators. After all, the simple truth is that the public purse contains only what is confiscated from the operations of the private sector or what the government prints for itself. A certain lady prime minister famously commented on the matter in a speech at Cheltenham Racecourse in July 1982, “ And we can't avoid one unchallengeable truth. The Government has no money of its own. All that it has it takes in taxes or borrows at interest. It's all of you, everyone here, that pays. Of course, there is another way. Instead of taking money from our people openly, in taxation or loans, we can take it surreptitiously, by subterfuge. We can print money in order to pay out of higher inflation what we dare not tax and cannot borrow. But that disreputable method is no longer open to us. Rightly this Government has abjured it.” The new government has obviously decided to do the same.
Thanet & East Kent Insider, 19th June 2010
1. Supporting Local Business
The Pegwell Bay Hotel was the venue for yesterday’s business networking breakfast organised by the Thanet & East Kent Chamber in liaison with the Dover District Chamber of Commerce. The main speaker was Laura Sandys MP who gave an insight into the measures the new government is taking to reduce the deficit and stimulate the economy. Laura gave an assurance that a 1% increase in National Insurance Contributions scheduled for next year would be dropped. Careful not to pre-empt the budget speech due from the Chancellor of the Exchequer at 1230 hrs on Tuesday 22nd June 2010, Laura was nonetheless confident that measures would introduced to provide “an incentive to support jobs”. She also supports the aims of Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS), to reduce the burden of regulations on companies by abolishing one law every time a new one is introduced. Laura even speculated as whether two or more could be abolished for every one gained and thereby liberate companies from the “business policemen” and some of the barriers to efficiency that the relentless accumulation of rules has erected. Anyone who heard Vince Cable speak at the Cass Business School on 3rd June 2010 will recall that he began his speech with “Well, the first thing you may have noticed is that I am not Peter Mandelson. For one thing, I am a better dancer.” Simply in order to survive, some local companies have been nimbly dancing around the most oppressive rules. It will come as a mighty relief if the burden of regulation is to be officially reduced.
Thanet & East Kent Insider, 12th June 2010
1.Thanet Business Exhibition
The Thanet Business Exhibition took place yesterday at G Casino, Westwood Cross, Broadstairs. The event brought together some of the area’s most successful companies who are eager to continue their growth curve by accessing new markets and making contact with more buyers.
Thanet & East Kent Insider, 5th June 2010
1. Business In Thanet
Thanet Business Exhibition is the unmissable event for all businesses trading in Thanet. It will take place at G Casino, Westwood Cross, Broadstairs CT10 2BF from 1000 hrs on Friday 11th June 2010. For more details, contact the Chamber Marketing and Membership Officer, Graham Rayner, tel: 07899 873535 or email
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with the subject line, “Thanet Business Exhibition”.
