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Originally Posted by Russ
Not saying I agree or disagree wherever Arthur was going with that but he has a point when it relates to Port Talbot. The area always has been an unemployment blackspot with little or no prospects of advancement for some. The general 'community feel' to PT means that many people have elderly or disabled relatives living with them so while they may have a job, the option of moving away for new employment is not as straightforward as outsiders may initially think.
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Any community relying on a single industry or source of employment is forever in danger if that industry declines.
The key there is for local government to encourage a vibrant mix of business to exist and never rely on one large "good thing", especially for nostalgia reasons as Port Talbot have now found to their detriment.
Again, the answer isn't to try to prop up an industry that has been pummelled, but find uses for the skills this community has in innovative ways that can compete on a local and international level. Not easy, and the pull towards an industry that most of the community knows is strong. One must sometimes break the links with the past to get on and calling to save the woefully outmoded steel plants (Blast furnaces, really. Look at the US for examples of modern steel works that are far more efficient and can be scaled to meet demand, rather than simply be "off" or "on") wont help anyone in the long run.