The Good Law Project are putting out articles, aiming at helping people to understand what sort of help they might be able to claim, to help them get through the economic crisis. The first one is aimed at utility bill support. If you don’t need the help yourself, you might know someone who does. https://goodlawproject.org/news/emp...paign=empowered-bills-300822&utm_medium=email
Oh no, that’s very sad. Did more for East-West relations than practically anyone else in the late 80’s. RIP Mikhail
In today's Times a still from the Tory Party's latest tractor porn video featuring Big Boy Boris and gooey eyed Nadine with a special scene featuring Tory HEAD girl (know what I mean nudge, nudge) Carrie Johnson. I can't wait to see what Boris gets up to once he has got those boots off. I can't wait to see it it. I have a hard on already.
It is interesting that yet again Johnson, the serial law breaker, is contravening health and safety rules in this picture.
What on earth did people do to deserve either as PM? The UK is seen as a laughing stock since brexit, going from a position of respect and influence to the sidelines.
Rishi Sunak has one quality; he is not noticeably stupid, evil or insane. That’s it, that’s all he has going for him.
And that is the point in politics in 2022. Look over the pond, Biden isn't my cup of tea at all, but how refreshing to have a normal, decent human being over there.
Speaks volumes for the state of US politics that the last presidential election offered the choice of a dangerous madman intent on destroying democracy, and a superannuated old fossil who was at least intent on trying to save it, if he could stay awake long enough.
A nice 4 year reprieve, but the shadow of Trump or imo even more likely DeSantis (Trump but intelligent) looms large.
Report from Mendip Hunt Saboteurs: Mendip Farmers Hunt Godney Peatworks Wednesday 31st August 2022 Our first trip to the Mendip Farmers Hunt of the new hunting season showed that once again this small band of despicable beings still haven’t come to terms with the existence the hunting act and are continuing to illegally hunt foxes. We were unsurprised yet disappointed to see local Tory MP Jacob Rees Mogg once more condoning the activities of this notoriously violent criminal gang by allowing his children to participate in their illegal fox hunt alongside wife Helena. We’ll leave you to make up your own minds about the kind of people who believe dragging children around on a pony to watch terrified fox cubs get ripped apart is a wholesome summer holiday activity. It was blatant cub hunting from the off in an almost identical rerun of the same meet the previous year, with hounds taken into the same four maize fields and around the peat works. Serious encouragement was given from the huntsman as soon as the hounds picked up on scents, and riders and foot followers were set up to surround the hunted areas so any fleeing foxes would be turned back towards the hounds. We heard holloas on two separate occasions, with one follower even waving their hat and pointing to indicate the direction they had seen something. This something was no doubt a terrified fox and not the invisible smokescreen the hunting fraternity would like you to believe. Sabs helped three different foxes who broke covert from one of the maize fields as hounds were in cry inside. Two took similar paths across a grass field towards the sab vehicle, and their scent was covered to prevent hounds following. Another crossed the drove between hunt followers. Their scent was also covered, but with the hunt knowing our sabs and cameras were watching, the hounds were taken away. Thank you to all our followers for your continued support. Now is the busiest time of the year for sabs, with fox hunting, the badger cull, and shooting seasons in full swing. Please consider making a donation to help keep us active protecting wildlife: www.PayPal.me/MendipHuntSabs Or buy us a virtual coffee: www.ko-fi.com/MendipHuntSabs Thank you Big thanks to Bristol Hunt Saboteurs for joining us today
Taken from the Mirror, written in response to a poll by Independent Age. “Icy Tories’ risk to old A CIVILISED country would not be preparing to open public buildings so the elderly can keep warm this winter. It would not be forcing pensioners to choose between heating or eating. And it would not be prepared to accept a situation where people could freeze to death. Yet that is the prospect facing the elderly over the coming months. By January the average annual energy bill could be more than half of the state pension. No wonder the charity Independent Age is warning that millions of over 65s are set for a devastating winter. Nearly two-thirds of pensioners plan to reduce heating, one in five will cut back on eating and one in seven will be forced to use no heating at all. The next PM will be judged on the level of support they provide for the older generation. It would be reprehensible if the Tories fail to keep people warm, stop them going hungry and prevent them dying from cold.” I would add that the plight of the pensioners has been worsened by the Tory government reneging on the “Triple Lock”, which meant smaller increases in the pension, this year, than should have been given.
This guy reckons Gas and Electricity prices could be reduced by 40% & 65% respectively, by a change of law. It also exposes how the country is paying way over the odds for renewable energy and nuclear energy. “The UK has many ways to generate electricity – renewables, nuclear, coal, hydro and gas. Most are used, except coal, which is now only for emergencies. The price of generating electricity varies greatly. Gas at current spot market prices costs about £611 per megawatt hour (MWh). Nuclear is about £60 per MWh, hydro £50, and £50 to £140 for on and offshore wind and solar. The electricity delivered to our houses is from a mix of all these sources. Bizarrely, that’s not how the wholesale price is set here. It is decided on “marginal costing”, which works against consumers’ interests right now. It means the wholesale energy price is set so the most expensive producer can make a profit from the sales they make into the wholesale energy market. Gas produced electricity is the most expensive to produce – and likely to remain so for a long time. Its manufacturing cost, plus a fair profit margin, sets the wholesale price for all electricity, however it is generated. It also means nuclear, hydro and renewables producers are paid the price that the gas generators get. This makes no sense at all. Profits for nuclear and renewables companies, who usually make more than half of UK electricity, increase dramatically, and unnecessarily when a marginal costing price setting model is used to suit gas generators. There is an added twist. Many renewable producers have contracts essentially fixing their prices, with Government taking on the risk of variation. Excess electricity profits of nuclear producers on fixed-price contracts – due to prices based on the cost of gas production – go to the Government. A little-known fact. There is also a pricing problem in the gas market. The UK meets about half its gas needs, the rest is bought internationally at a price we can’t control. Yet the energy regulation system lets UK produced gas be sold at the international price for onward supply to UK consumers, again massively increasing the profits of UK gas producing firms wholly unnecessarily, and solely because of the pricing model used. The talk is a windfall tax could correct this. But that ignores that many problems we face have been created by dire regulation. The Government could change that regulation – as the EU is said to be considering. Instead of all producers, whether of gas or electricity, being paid the price of the highest cost supplier they received their own fair marginal cost of production and a reasonable profit. Then, presume the energy regulator priced the onward supply of wholesale gas and electricity to the energy distribution companies on the basis of the actual cost to produce (including fair profit) of the gas and electricity actually sold into the market each day. For much of the renewables and nuclear sector this will not be hard because of the Government price guarantees already in place. For gas, all you need is to mix internationally priced gas with UK produced gas at its fair price of production. The law would have to change. The resulting yelling, screaming and legal threats from energy companies would have to be ignored because customers can no longer afford UK energy prices. This is a national emergency. We suspended existing laws for Covid and we could certainly do it now. Broadly speaking gas prices may fall by 40% and electricity by 65%. This move would not solve all the energy problems overnight. The remaining prices are still problematic and huge reforms to the market would still be needed. But there would be instant cuts in energy costs saving household budgets, businesses and many lives. It would mean a reduction in inflation and the pressure for state interventions to save households, pubic services and businesses. We need courageous politicians willing to change the rules. I live in hope that this might happen but I’m not holding my breath.” • Richard Murphy is a chartered accountant and campaigner. He blogs at taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/ and tweets @RICHARDJMURPHY.
