In that case a simple question has to be asked. If a gas company can be too big to fail – and it is now really apparent that this is possible – why shouldn’t the supply of domestic gas be nationalised since it is now clear that all the big players in this market are operating with an unstated but nonetheless profoundly implicit state guarantee underpinning the activities? Why in that case don’t we just create a state energy company to do the job instead? Call it English Gas if you like – because Scotland and Wales should have their own energy companies – and let’s move on. What is the counter-argument?
Because we’ve tried that and it was worse.
The last two years have merely confirmed my belief that the dead hand of the state should be as far as possible from everything important. We knew politicians were venal, ignorant and living in cloud-cuckooland and the upper Civil Service have confirmed that they care not about us and only about them. Oh and they see no need to apply democratice mandates.
Nationalisation was, is and will be a health hazard for the poor and a black whole for my enormous fortune (well, perhaps ‘enormous’ is a ‘slight exaggeration) :-).
democratic and hole!
I’m one of those despised graduates in English ffs
Isn’t it the dead hand of the state, in the form of price caps, that has caused energy companies to go bust? State action causes a problem so we should have more state involvement. Clueless.
The Government are planning to introduce a new supermarket chain: ‘UKGovShop’.
This will replace all the other supermarkets.
What do you think?
Why do you believe there should only be one supermarket chain and that it should be run by the government?
The Government are planning to introduce a new energy provider:‘UKGovPower’.
This will replace all the other energy providers.
What do you think?
Why do you believe there should only be one energy provider and that it should be run by the government?
IIRC it was Harold Wilson who quipped:
So they want to bring Marks and Spencer up to the standard of the Co-Op?
So the govt imposes a cap on prices.
The govt imposes rules to assert renewable supply over fossil, increasing costs.
The govt puts green surcharges on your bill.
The govt also obliges energy suppliers to give poor customers price support and puts the bill on the rest. (Isn’t that a real tax which never gets measured in estimates of the tax burden???)
Would nationalisation really be any different?
These bust leccy suppliers were selling themselves as 100% renewable.
So in principle the gas price was irrelevant. When the sun didn’t shine and the wind didn’t blow they just turned your supply off.
Oh…
@AP: since those days the standard of the Co-op has risen and of M&S has fallen. The first is due, I assume, to the beneficial effect of competition. What is the cause of the second? Dud management?
(Nobody mention the Co-op Bank!)
I’m one of those despised graduates in English ffs
Ah! But are your fingers equally highly educated?
Since its the state that has created the current situation surely this is cause for less government intervention and even roll back the stupidity of the state in this area of our lives?
Another eco-victory for Princess Nut Nuts and Ballsack!
Nothing must stop the Great Green Leap Backwards!
NB On Splendid Isolation there’s a wonderful pic:
https://www.kimdutoit.com/2021/11/23/alternative-fuel/
So it takes 9 gallons of diesel to recharge a Tesla?
I guess this is red diesel, so Lancashire Council are involved in a tax scam?
Cognitive dissonance between “We need a single nationalised provider” and “One each for England, Scotland, and Wales”.
How do they reconcile the two statements? What’s the guiding theory here?
Is the author of this fine piece any relation?
https://capx.co/centrist-populism-is-responsible-for-europes-energy-crisis/
“because Scotland and Wales should have their own energy companies”
Er. Why? Seems to me that any argument for that is also an argument against nationalisation (or regionalisation, or whatever this is) in the first place.
What’s the guiding theory here?
Richard Murphy can’t think of anything else to say?
@philip
Whilst energy suppliers like Bulb “claimed” to supply 100% renewable energy the wording of how they achieve that is dodgy.
“We provide all our members with 100% renewable electricity. For every unit you use, we make sure a unit is produced and put on the grid by a renewable source including solar, wind and hydro”
i.e. they make sure that a unit from a renewable source is put on the grid for every one you use, but there is nothing in there to stop multiple firms supplying renewable electricity all counting the same renewable energy put onto the grid for their own customers whereas in reality the electricity is mainly coming from burning gas.
Tim the Coder
That image you link to has been around for a while. Originally, it was meant to be satire…
In his gloat about more grants Spud referenced his latest grant scheme on his website, the whateverthefuckitisgreenbollocks LLP, which he claimed “started trading in 2007”.
A quick review of Companies House showed that it was dormant from 2007 to 2011, traded for one year and was then dormant again until 2019 when it was resurrected so that it could claim a grant. These grants aren’t given to individuals so there’s no way Colin Hines (the other LLP member) could get his hands on any grant money as an individual so the LLP claimed the grant. And promptly paid over 95% of it to Hines.
What a pair of slimeballs
Andrew C
It would be tough to find two more odious individuals for sure. Utter parasites, and symptoms of a society that may be beyond salvation.
AndyF
Pinpointing an electron is hard but it seems that this green only leccy coming down the wires is a scam. The other players would have to be 100% horrible gas, coal & nuclear, if not.
The wording may be carefully crafted by expensive lawyers but nevertheless I think it would be interesting for plod or one of the supervisory quangos to have a look.
I meant “if so”
Cognitive dissonance between “We need a single nationalised provider” and “One each for England, Scotland, and Wales”.
How do they reconcile the two statements? What’s the guiding theory here?
Probably:
1. Trying to suck up to the SNP, who wouldn’t be a fan of non-regionalised solutions.
2. Racism.
Tim the Coder
November 23, 2021 at 12:50 pm
Thank you TTC. I’d never thought of that way to keep my electric car charged up. I wonder if it’d be cheaper than buying a plug in hybrid?
@Andrew C and van_patten
A LLP carrying in a proper business as used by accountants/solicitors/GPs/etc would split profits between partners equally or based on an objective metric e.g. capital contributed or revenue generated. Tax Research LLP and Finance for the Future LLP are wholly artificial entities set up to get round the charitable trust rules on not funding individuals. I cant see any law being broken here, and I doubt a complaint to the trusts themselves would achieve anything as they are no doubt run by leftie activists but it stinks.