- Gwyn Morgan, Director, Manning Centre for Building Democracy
Baby boomers here in London must be experiencing déjà vu.
Four decades ago, auto giant British Leyland was desperately seeking government funds to stave off bankruptcy and prevent the layoff of thousands of highly paid unionized workers. After burning through today's equivalent of over $16-billion (U.S.) in taxpayers' money, the firm eventually disappeared, relegating iconic cars like the Triumph to collectors' items. Last Tuesday, British auto makers implored Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to give them state aid to help them through "unprecedented circumstances."
