Sir Keir’s Kerfuffle

[jfman]

Originally Posted by nomadking

As I pointed out, it's all of £35/customer/year. Even with the windfall tax of around £180/customer/year, there is still a huge gap.
The UK consumes more than double the amount of gas it produces, so more than half the gas comes from outside of the UK, and outside of UK tax jurisdiction. How can they be described as "greedy" when they don't set the price?

As pointed out you are using a narrow definition of the energy market.

[mrmistoffelees]

Originally Posted by nomadking

As I pointed out, it's all of £35/customer/year. Even with the windfall tax of around £180/customer/year, there is still a huge gap.
The UK consumes more than double the amount of gas it produces, so more than half the gas comes from outside of the UK, and outside of UK tax jurisdiction. How can they be described as "greedy" when they don't set the price?

We still seem to be managing to export most of our gas to continental Europe at the moment….. not for storage but for sale. Which means when we need to buy gas it will be when it is at its most expensive pushing prices even further. If only we had a way to store it. Oh wait that was mothballed

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by nomadking

Labour plans can usually be summed up as "beg, borrow, or steal".

A plan the Tories denounced then took up by taxing the energy giants. Wonder if they'll do the same with Sir Ks latest plan? He seems to be running the Govt and calling the shots, someone has to.

[ianch99]

Originally Posted by jfman

Sounds like the privatised energy firms.

I think you can widen that to privatised energy firms. It is remarkable how the public is so able to be fooled for so long.

[heero_yuy]

Quote from the Sun on Sunday:

KEIR Starmer has been branded a “dead loss” by colleagues who fear he is taking Labour downhill.

After two years he is doing worse than Jeremy Corbyn who led the party to election defeat in 2019.
Sir Keir’s popularity rating was minus four after 704 days as leader.

The hard-Left chief he replaced was minus 3.6 after 715.

Some of his top team privately admit they are resigned to defeat at the next general election unless they can find a charismatic new figurehead.

A senior figure said: “Many of us wish we were more ruthless. If it was the Tory party he’d be gone by now.”

I'm sure the new PM will hope Starmer has a long tenure as Labour leader.

[denphone]

More concerning for the Conservatives would be this.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-Ashcroft.html

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by denphone

More concerning for the Conservatives would be this.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-Ashcroft.html

The annoying thing is that Starmer has got to this, potential, position completely by default.

He and Labour have offered nothing, absolutely nothing, in regards to coherent policy and governance.

He/they have this lead purely because the Tory party has monumentally disappeared up it’s own arse.

I agree that I don’t see the Tories winning the next election, regardless of who wins the leadership. I also think that the party is in such a state that whoever wins this leadership contest may not necessarily be the leader come the next election.

I’m off to listen to the Charlie Daniels band whist the flames lick the feet of Westminster Palace.

Originally Posted by Pierre

The annoying thing is that Starmer has got to this, potential, position completely by default.

Well, he has got there by changing the party after Corbyn so it doesn't alienate or scare people. It's a strategy that was worked so far because.....

He/they have this lead purely because the Tory party has monumentally disappeared up it’s own arse.

Governments lose elections more than oppositions win them. If the Tory Party was competent and the economy was running well then it wouldn't matter who led Labour or what their policies were, the Tories would likely win the next election.

When the vaccine rollout was a success, the country opened up and the economy rebounded on that reopening then the Tories were flying. Labour looked doomed. But then the Tories had self-inflicted gaff after gaff. That should be the biggest regret for Johnson because the things that did him weren't ambitious policies but extracurricular nonsense he got involved in for no political gain.

Really the cost of living crisis has only really started in the last couple of months and the worst of the energy crisis is to come. Most of their polling lead was due to these stupid mistakes

He and Labour have offered nothing, absolutely nothing, in regards to coherent policy and governance.

Well there is still some way until the election and you don't announce too much before then. They do need to start making it clear what a Labour Government would look like though. This energy cap freeze and the windfall tax (which the Tories did adopt in the end) are the main things we've seen them announce.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Damien

Well, he has got there by changing the party after Corbyn so it doesn't alienate or scare people. It's a strategy that was worked so far because.....

Corbyn was one of the big factors along with Brexit at the last General election.

Both those factors will not come into play much at the next General Election in 2024.

Add to that the huge cost of living crisis and energy bills which are taking a huge chunk out of voters monthly incomes and the Conservatives are going to struggle to get 35% of the popular vote come 2024.

Plus Truss and Sunak don't possess the electability of Johnson.

[heero_yuy]

Originally Posted by denphone

Plus Truss and Sunak don't possess the electability of Johnson.

Whereas Starmer has all the charisma of a salted slug.

Who is more mediocre?

[denphone]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Whereas Starmer has all the charisma of a salted slug.

Who is more mediocre?

He might not have much charisma but the fact is he is not Corbyn and that in itself will be a considerable advantage.

Allied to that the the cost of living crisis and energy bills going through the roof with 2023 economically likely to be just as bad as this year and the governing party has a huge uphill task.

Plus by 2024 they would have been in power for 14 years.

Historically governments struggle to win a fifth term in office.

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Whereas Starmer has all the charisma of a salted slug.

Who is more mediocre?

Liz Truss is saying she doesn't want to give out handouts whereas Labour is talking about keeping the price cap frozen. In the end, if people perceive one party cares about them and the other doesn't then charisma won't matter. I suspect Truss will be forced to do something though.

Starmer is just missing in action..I wish Truss was.

Labour's plan announced: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62542541

They're saying freeze the prices as they are now but will part pay for it by scrapping for £400 payments people were going to get over the winter. The other thing that's interesting is that Labour are saying part of it will pay for itself because it'll help control inflation if energy costs are kept down.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Damien

Labour's plan announced: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62542541

They're saying freeze the prices as they are now but will part pay for it by scrapping for £400 payments people were going to get over the winter. The other thing that's interesting is that Labour are saying part of it will pay for itself because it'll help control inflation if energy costs are kept down.

A bit like the Liberal Democrats' idea of keeping the price cap as it is and not raising it. As others have said on this Forum, when is a cap not a cap, if you keep raising it all the time?

I'm sure whoever the next Prime Minister is, they will be keen to use any devices that keep inflation in single figures as that inflation rate won't be forgotten by their opponents both on their own side of the house and more importantly, on the Opposition benches as well.