Business output falls in the South West

“The answer to this problem is simple: start building houses as soon as possible. Not just the 48,000 Cornwall Council has called for but 96,000. This will double the number of jobs to be created by covering land with concrete. Only then with our fields covered in solar farms and houses will the economy perk up. It's all so obvious.....”

“Business often dips in November as people start to think about budgeting for Christmas. This means they are less likely to spend money as the 5 week period after Christmas can be a make or break period for small businesses. Along with the deep recession the two factors act as a catalyst for downturn. Many have said that it may well be several years before we exit these tough times. It will only improve when employers raise wages which are deplorable. How can anyone survive financially earning £6-£7-an-hour? It's a major problem because employers cannot afford to raise wages for fear of being less competitive. The supermarkets reign supreme as they allow many of their workers to put in a lot of overtime. However, even the mighty giant Tesco's have shown a 10% fall in their profits over the last year!”