Cost of Living Crisis

Hardly wittered on. It's 3 sentences in a larger speech about the importance of exactly what you're talking about.

 

So how do you do it?

I agree it's important.....everyone agrees it's important.....but HOW?

 

Other European countries have made the increase to consumers much, much lower with caps. That's one way to deal with the immediate problem.

Longer term, privatisation is an option but a more sensible route would be to take a serious step towards renewables providing the vast majority of residential energy. I watched a video about a street in the UK, think it was London way and they're working as a collective to provide all of their own energy with solar and wind power. They're doing that independently so why couldn't government facilitate it.

The cynic in me thinks that a project that extends beyond the life of a government's stint in power is too much of a risk for them to contemplate. The legacy for a government that made energy virtually free would be on a par with the introduction of the NHS, education for all, welfare state etc. Enormous.

 

But even in France where the cap has been restricted the tightest it hasn't gone smoothly. EDF are suing the French government for nearly £9bn as they're forcing them to sell energy at all loss, at some point that will have to be funded otherwise energy suppliers would simply go bust. It helps the households but someone still had to pay the going rate somewhere surely? It doesn't help the businesses with the truly enormous bills in the slightest.

And I agree about the longer term both on terms of privatisation (although it wouldn't actually fix 10% of the current issue) and having greater access to renewables. Unfortunately that street that you mention is probably an outlier in the UK, most residential populations show the ridiculous NIMBY outlook when it comes to that sort of infrastructure. Getting over that particular hurdle to make schemes easier to implement would probably assist as well.

 

EDF suing the government for lost income due to an enforced energy cap is strange because EDF is 85% owned by the French Government so essentially suing itself, However as it is state owned it has been able to dictate prices and help its lower income business customers, Maybe we should\d do the same

 

they reckon the total cost could be £15bn by end of the year.

 

Ultimately one way or another it will be through taxation they get any money they lend back as they don't look like bringing a windfall tax in on the utility companies.

 

This is what happens when you get involved in conflicts you don’t belong in - you get what you deserve.

Meanwhile Russia are better off economically than before their military operations yet we’re all suffering, that despite them being the target of “sanctions”.

The only people being sanctioned are us. Talk about cutting your nose to spite your face.

 

Thanks for that Vladimir.

 

Wonder why that is? Why would you be against a windfall tax?

 

I wouldn't.

 

The current government is though which makes me think some of that party are major share holders in the these companies.

 

Quite possible it was Maggie and the Tory Party that privatised the likes of gas, electric, BT, water railways etc, remember her quoting the free markets will determine prices, not if the companies are run like cartels.
We need to take a serious look at where we get our energy from and make sure vital things like gas and electricity are not reliant on countries like Russia or China, unfortunately it won't be done over night, I don't think the majority of electorate had the appetite to take them back but I do think these latest prices rises will have changed many people minds.

 

I just don't agree with picking and choosing which conflicts to stick our ore in. Especially when we as the public suffer as a direct consequence.

Strange how we don't actively get involved in Israel/Palestine, Chinese genocide of Uighur's, horrific daily abductions, child rapes, killings by islamists in Nigeria, Somalia etc.

The politicised and selective virtue signalling of the Ukrainian conflict is outrageously embarrassing when there are continuous atrocities occurring daily.

But because it's Russia, and the west doesn't want to see Russia look strong, let's look like we're doing something about it but all we're doing is shooting ourselves in the foot.

Complete and utter sh*tshow. This wouldn't happen under a Corbyn government.

 

Of course they are. Just like they are shareholders in companies like BAE systems and Lockheed Martin to name but two. Simply put, this cost of living crisis, the war in Ukraine and the covid crisis has seen the the very few people who hold most of the worlds wealth become richer quicker than at any time in their lives.
The ones at the top don't ever suffer no matter what the narrative.

 

We're not all suffering. Only the ones specifically targeted to suffer. Oh which i and i suspect most on here are. You want real change, you need to take out the king. And that ain't Vladimir Putin.

 

I'm sure Russia aren't worried if as you say :
"Meanwhile Russia are better off economically than before their military operations yet we’re all suffering, that despite them being the target of “sanctions”.
Unfortunatley it's gone on for years we turn a blind eye to things we know are wrong within other countries because we get multi billions in trade, or in the case of Isreal they have powerful people withing the halls of the Whitehouse or the establishment in Washington.
Corbyn this is the guy who was anti EU all his political life yet said he was politically neutral with regards Brexit, that's a poor example mate.

 

How are they better off economically when they have lost one of their major markets and foreign currency income streams?

 

I see Edwina Currie is telling people to decorate their homes with what looks like tinfoil wallpaper to help keep their homes warm.

I'm not sure how I will spend the savings I will make along with the savings from the new kettle.

 

On buying a new kettle and some tinfoil wallpaper perhaps?