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@iDoji The rise of AI has sparked the creation of many online small businesses, while also leading to the closure of some. For instance, Instagram and TikTok together host over 221,000 professional UK digital creators, and in just the past year, 84% of them have incorporated AI into their creative process, driving the growth of their businesses. 31% are between 18-24, 37% are between 25 - 34, 24% between 35 and 54 and the rest over 55.

@skier1 Its a bleak picture but this isn't just a recent dip; we are seeing the cumulative result of a decade-long "hollowing out" of the high street. Hospitality and retail have always been the engine room for youth employment, but they have been throttled by a decade of structural shifts.

The problem started with the steady erosion of the retail floor as shopping moved online, followed by a business rates system that has effectively taxed physical shops out of existence. Add to that the 8.5% jump in youth minimum wage this April coming after years of smaller hikes and the cost of keeping a young person on the payroll has become prohibitive for many independent operators.

We’re now at a tipping point where these entry-level "starter jobs" are simply disappearing. When you have one in seven hospitality businesses facing closure and retail vacancies at record lows, you lose the bridge between school and the workforce. The rise in "ill health" among the under-35s is likely a symptom of this if the traditional path of "starting on the shop floor" is gone, the cycle of long-term inactivity becomes almost impossible to break and with it the rise of anxiety and other mental health problems.

It’s hard to ignore the "carnage" in the tech sector right now nearly 80,000 jobs gone in just the first quarter of 2026 is a staggering figure. You're right that we’re seeing a massive paradox where billions are being poured into AI while people are being handed P45s. It feels like a "leap of faith" because, for the individual, the redundancy is immediate while the "transition" benefits are still theoretical.

However, history shows this cycle isn't unique to AI. We saw the same "end of work" panic with the industrial revolution, the motor car, and the internet. Each time, the initial shock caused mass displacement in old sectors, but it eventually paved the way for entirely new industries that we couldn't have imagined before like how the internet created more jobs in software and logistics than it destroyed in traditional retail.

We are definitely in the "painful part" of the curve right now, where companies are prioritising AI infrastructure over headcount. But if history is any guide, the job market doesn't just shrink; it evolves. The challenge for 2026 isn't that jobs are disappearing forever, but that the new roles being created require a completely different set of skills than the ones being automated.

It’s much akin to the UK energy sector; oil and gas still employs over 115,000 people but is in steady decline, while the renewables sector once just a niche interest now supports over 145,000 direct roles and is growing exponentially. The "transition" is painful while you're in the middle of it, but the data shows that the new industries eventually outweigh the ones they replace.

@SohelpmeGod Why? One doesn't equate with the other. Spinks was not a member of the Board of Directors when the primary £500,000 Convertible Loan Note was originally structured and announced in 2022. When that CLN was being finalised, the board was led by Tom Evans and Niall Tomlinson.

To give context: while the current leadership wasn't there when the agreement was first inked, they have been the ones managing the subsequent conversion periods and the recent "balance sheet clean-up" we saw in early 2026. This is a crucial distinction it separates the directors who negotiated the original debt terms from the team brought in to deal with the fallout and manage the company while that debt was an overhang.

@djm1 Knowing a director personally doesn’t mean you automatically grasp the granular complexities of a PLC's governance, even if you end up on a board yourself years down the line. If "knowing people" equalled insider knowledge, I’d have the inside track on half the FTSE 100 and several government departments by now.

@iDoji You’ve hit on the real issue here. Most people in this thread are stuck in a hard-left or hard-right loop, blaming everything on whoever is in Number 10 this week. It’s rare to see someone actually playing devil’s advocate and looking at the wider macro-economic picture.

The reality is that today’s youth unemployment isn’t just a "Starmer problem" or a "Tory legacy" it’s a collision of factors. We’re currently navigating a massive 2026 oil price shock, the fallout from the latest US tariff saga, and a commercial property market that’s being squeezed by the new April business rates revaluation. When you combine those global pressures with a shrinking industrial base, you get the "hope-loss" mentioned in the original post. It’s far easier to point fingers at a single politician than it is to admit we’re caught in a global storm that’s been brewing for over a decade.

"The UK state / deep-state and its meddling is wrecking everything. Everything."

While there is plenty to criticise in government policy and the macro-economic climate, at what point do we shift the focus back to our own decisions? My motto is to avoid wasting energy on the things I can’t change and instead pour it into my own 'circle of influence.' External meddling and state policy are real factors, but they only go so far; our own response to them, our choices, our responsibility, and our accountability is ultimately what dictates our day-to-day reality. Stop playing the victim and take control of your life.

" Stability & Resilience are Key."

Energy

@Floorman Correct me if I'm wrong but the current BoD couldn't have known of the situation back in 2023, as they weren't directors of the company back in November 2023.

@skier1 While your post highlights very real economic pressures currently facing the UK, the data suggests a more complex reality than a total collapse across the board. Starting with the GDP figures, your estimates for 2026 are quite accurate; the IMF does project UK GDP per capita (PPP) at around $65,000, which is slightly below the EU average of roughly $67,000. However, it is worth noting that "EU average" is a broad metric and a few small, very wealthy nations pull that average up, making the UK's slip below the line look more dramatic than a direct comparison with France or Germany would suggest. While the UK has slipped below the mathematical average of the 27 member states, it still maintains a higher GDP per head than major peers like France, Italy, and Spain. The average is pulled upward significantly by smaller, high-wealth nations like Luxembourg and Ireland, so while the "gap" is a concern for policymakers, the UK remains one of the wealthier large economies in Europe.

Regarding the automotive sector, the situation at Jaguar is particularly unique and reflects a deliberate business pivot rather than just external pressure. Jaguar is currently in the middle of a radical "reimagine" strategy, which involved stopping the production of almost all its legacy internal combustion models to prepare for a relaunch as an ultra-luxury, electric-only brand. This shift, combined with a major cyber incident that hit their production lines in 2025, resulted in registrations dropping by over 90% in early 2026. While the "EV mandate" (which requires 33% of new car sales to be zero-emission this year) is indeed creating a huge challenge for manufacturers, the broader UK car market is actually showing signs of recovery, with overall production expected to rise by about 10% through 2026.

The point about energy costs is where the argument is strongest. UK industrial electricity prices are indeed among the highest in the developed world, often double the rates seen in the US or China. This "green cost" has undoubtedly put heavy industry like the steel plants in Port Talbot under immense strain. However, the government has begun to respond to this by shifting green levies off energy bills and into general taxation to try and lower the direct burden on businesses and households. While the "meddling" of the state is a significant point of debate, the economic picture in 2026 isn't one of total ruin, but rather a very painful and expensive transition period as the country tries to rebalance its energy and industrial strategy.

Is that detailed enough for you or would you like me to explain with more detail still. AI is a tool just like any other tool and as you use it yourself, I'm not sure what your complaint is. I for example utilise AI to summarise documents so the information you view comes from source rather than being open to AI hallucination. The way you utilise AI is different, as you just point and shoot rarely looking at what you've written.

Gold hydrogen is found on multiple continents including Europe, Australasia, South America, North America and Africa. In 2024/2025, a massive deposit was identified in the Lorraine region of France, which is now considered one of the largest potential reserves in the world. I hold shares in several companies involved in both current and future gold hydrogen extraction.

More focused on seeing an RNS announcing the company has applied to have the suspension lifted and its listing reactivated than on the price paid to a shareholder for previously borrowed shares. I wonder if/when that RNS is likely to drop.

@troublesome It’s a perspective that definitely captures the optimistic side of the energy transition. There is plenty of truth in the idea that technology doesn't sit still, especially when there’s a global push behind it.

For starters, renewable energy has become a massive part of the UK’s power mix, actually hitting a record high of over 50% late last year. As we build more wind and solar, the cost of the "fuel" for green hydrogen naturally starts to look better. On top of that, the machines used to make it electrolysers are getting more efficient and cheaper to build as companies move into mass production. It’s a bit like flat-screen TVs; the first ones were incredibly expensive and clunky, but as the tech matured, the price plummeted.

The part about energy security is also a major driver right now. In the current climate, being able to produce our own fuel right here in the UK rather than relying on international gas markets is a huge plus. We’re also seeing more "joined-up thinking" with our neighbours, like better cables to Europe and new plans for big hydrogen storage sites, which help keep the lights on even when the wind isn’t blowing.

That said, it isn't exactly a smooth ride yet. ***While the tech is ready, our national grid is still playing catch-up, some projects are still waiting years just to get plugged in. Plus, because interest rates and material costs have stayed high, a few big projects had to be paused recently. So, while the transition is definitely "happening now," it’s turned out to be a bit more of a marathon than a sprint.

Do you think the focus should stay on this high-tech green hydrogen, or should we be looking more at the "gold" hydrogen I mentioned earlier as a quicker fix?

***The delay in getting new energy projects "plugged in" is one of the biggest talking points in the UK energy sector right now. While we often hear about needing more "pylons and wires," the real bottleneck is frequently at the junctions where these new power sources meet the existing National Grid. As of 2026, the queue for projects waiting to connect to the grid is massive. This isn't just because we are building more; it’s because the grid was originally designed for a few large, predictable coal and gas power stations. Now, we are trying to connect hundreds of smaller, intermittent sources like wind farms, solar parks, and hydrogen electrolysers.

To speed things up, the government and the energy regulator (Ofgem) have recently introduced a "Connect and Manage" approach. This allows projects to connect to the grid before all the deep reinforcements are finished, provided they agree to be "turned down" occasionally if the junctions get too crowded.

@harleygreen Not all areas are the same. For example, unemployment in Herefordshire is currently 3.0%, which is well below the West Midlands average of 4.4% and the UK national average of 5.2%. Among those aged 16–24 in Herefordshire, the rate is around 3.5% to 4.0%. In comparison, the UK national youth unemployment rate for the same age group rose to 16.0% in the November 2025 – January 2026 quarter. Herefordshire tends to perform better due to strong demand for labour in agriculture and manufacturing, although these jobs are often seasonal or lower paid.

@skier1 It’s a pretty intense picture, and the UK is definitely under pressure. While the core argument reflects real frustrations, especially around the cost of living and the state of industry, some of the details look a bit different when you check the official 2025/2026 figures.

On energy prices, the UK is in a tough spot, often ranking among the highest in the developed world for industrial electricity, which hits manufacturing hard. Residential bills are also consistently steep compared to the rest of Europe. This has contributed to the struggles of heavy industries like steel, which have faced a major downturn. That said, calling Jaguar or the car industry a “freefall collapse” is pushing it. Despite supply chain issues and the tough switch to electric models, Jaguar Land Rover has seen a modest sales rebound, even if the process has been rough.

Economically, it’s a mix of good and bad. Many feel their real income what’s left after inflation and bills is shrinking, though I personally prepared for this and avoided the squeeze. It’s unfortunate others didn’t take similar steps, leading to more complaints about what is, in part, self-inflicted. As for the claim that UK GDP per person has dropped below the EU average for the first time, that’s not quite right. The latest stats show the UK still ahead, though the gap has narrowed. And while the “green” transition is costly and funded by taxes and bills, the 2026 move to shift these costs from energy bills into general taxation shows the government is at least paying attention.

@Dorfan Quote "Hydrogen is not a cheap energy source. People are conned into believing what they are told and not the truth."

It depends on the source and type of hydrogen, as not all hydrogen is the same. The kind you’re referring to matches current industry projections for Green Hydrogen (produced via electrolysis), with the estimated levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) without subsidies ranging from £3.60 to £5.20 per kg for UK projects in 2030. A maximum figure of £6.00 is a reasonable upper bound for less efficient or smaller-scale production.

Geologic hydrogen, or “gold hydrogen,” is a naturally occurring gas found in the Earth’s crust. Since it’s extracted using traditional drilling instead of energy-heavy electrolysis, its production costs are expected to be much lower than those of green hydrogen. Estimates put the cost per kilogram at £0.40 to £0.95 about 80% cheaper than the projected 2030 unsubsidized cost of green hydrogen (£5.00–£6.00/kg) and on par with, or even cheaper than, “grey” hydrogen made from unabated natural gas.

Posting on this board is just one of the things they could do, and it takes far less time than tackling the many other ways they could spend it. Likewise, @SullysWorld, have you thought about following your own advice? What you suggest applies to everyone, yet here you are.

@Ezhik Quote "They are filling with compressed gas only that should stay exactly where it is in the cylinders."

Not factually true I'm afraid, as although the purpose of the tubes is to contain the compressed gas, they're prone to leakage through valves or seals due to the small atomic size of helium, known as permeation, so the purpose of the tubes is to contain the gas over short periods during filling and transportation. For long-term storage and large-scale transport, helium is typically liquefied. Liquid helium is stored in highly insulated Dewar flasks or cryogenic tanks. This is more efficient because liquid helium occupies roughly 1/700th of the volume of the compressed gas.

@troajan since ****stan was leading the negotiations, their account of what was included in the deal is accurate, and they’ve made it clear that the terms stated by iran were agreed to by both the us and israel. now, with both the us and israel breaching those terms and complaining about iran closing the straits again, it seems likely that the parts of the deal they violated were, in their eyes, never truly part of the agreement. in other words, they agreed hastily without fully reading the contents to save face, and now it’s come back to haunt them.

STP I've never heard that rule before unwritten or unspoken its tosh. Users do as users choose as long as its within the written rules of the platform and even then, rarely does anybody including myself take much notice of them until the moderator puts their foot down.

@Brentw1 FM declarations aren’t always made public, but when they’re lifted, companies usually issue statements none of which have happened here. Industry analysts, like Kornbluth Helium Consulting, still describe the market as tight and not fully back to normal. Unlike oil or gas, helium doesn’t have a transparent public spot market; prices come from private contracts and tend to lag behind events. No analyst has noted a return to pre‑conflict (pre‑Amur/Qatar) pricing, and global demand for helium remains strong. Your claims are pure exaggeration and not backed by the data.