Off Topic Politics Thread
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With the low temperatures currently in the UK, this report highlights the use of pre-payment metres having a detrimental effect on lives and the inability to afford electricity could be responsible for 4000 avoidable deaths last winter. For me, it’s just another reason for utility companies to be re-nationalised and costs equalised so that everyone is on the same, flat rate tariff.
PRESSURE is mounting on the Government to ban energy firms from forcing prepayment meters on customers.
Groups including Fuel Poverty Action and the National Pensioner’s Convention yesterday ramped up calls for the practice to end.
It comes amid fears that the poorest are being left without heating as temperatures plummet.
Of the 13,400 excess deaths last winter reported by the Office for National Statistics, the charity National Energy Action says 4,000 were preventable – 45 a day.
Citizens Advice estimates that 3.2 million people could not afford to top up their energy meter for 24 hours or more last year.
There is also evidence that courts are routinely waving through applications from energy suppliers to force entry to homes in order to fit the meters.
An investigation by the i newspaper found just 72 of more than 500,000 such applications have been refused since July 2021.
In Westminster yesterday, protesters highlighted the plight of those living in cold homes. Ruth London, of Fuel Poverty Action, said: “We need an outright ban, and urgent removal of the hundreds of thousands of meters installed where they are not safe or practical.”
Jan Shortt, of the National Pensioners’ Convention, said: “It’s shameful that anyone in this country should die as a result of the cold.”
Business Secretary Grant Shapps said he would write to energy regulator Ofgem.
Labour also wants the forced installations of prepay meters halted.
PRESSURE is mounting on the Government to ban energy firms from forcing prepayment meters on customers.
Groups including Fuel Poverty Action and the National Pensioner’s Convention yesterday ramped up calls for the practice to end.
It comes amid fears that the poorest are being left without heating as temperatures plummet.
Of the 13,400 excess deaths last winter reported by the Office for National Statistics, the charity National Energy Action says 4,000 were preventable – 45 a day.
Citizens Advice estimates that 3.2 million people could not afford to top up their energy meter for 24 hours or more last year.
There is also evidence that courts are routinely waving through applications from energy suppliers to force entry to homes in order to fit the meters.
An investigation by the i newspaper found just 72 of more than 500,000 such applications have been refused since July 2021.
In Westminster yesterday, protesters highlighted the plight of those living in cold homes. Ruth London, of Fuel Poverty Action, said: “We need an outright ban, and urgent removal of the hundreds of thousands of meters installed where they are not safe or practical.”
Jan Shortt, of the National Pensioners’ Convention, said: “It’s shameful that anyone in this country should die as a result of the cold.”
Business Secretary Grant Shapps said he would write to energy regulator Ofgem.
Labour also wants the forced installations of prepay meters halted.
Good to see that the government is using our hard-earned taxes wisely:
Vin
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Vin
Sunak not being prosecuted for not wearing a seatbelt in the back of his car. Why not?
edit. A fixed penalty fine has been issued.
edit. A fixed penalty fine has been issued.
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And some interesting information on another Tory MP.
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Just saw that on the news. Will update my previous post before I get trolled.m
Yes, he's Prime Minister and of all people should be seen to obey the laws of the land and it's not the first time he's been fined recently either. But I can't help but think that the media and the general public get their political priorities all wrong. With all that's going on right now the issues that get people worked up are the least of our worries and if the Tories are to be ousted it's not going to be a FPN that's their undoing.
The relatively trivial* Partygate was Johnson's downfall but the millions given to his chums was overlooked by comparison. I don't know if there is/was an investigation about where all the money went but there's been no mention of the law being involved like they are with seatbeltgate. I stand to be corrected if there is, I'm sure someone will let me know.
Two possible explanations are that 1. The inequality of the hardship has angered people and this is a rare chance to see some punishment meted out and quite quickly.
2. It's a media diversionary tactic to direct the public fury at something other than the economy. Although this version is unlikely as it would be short lived it seemed to work pretty well with partygate.
* I say trivial only in comparison to potential corruption.
Just a reminder that the Daily Mail ran front page stories every day for 2 whole weeks while trying and failing to get Keir Starmer prosecuted for breaking lockdown rules, based on a single photo taken illegally. I agree that there are more important things to get worked up about than this, but it’s worth remembering that Boris Johnson was the first serving PM ever to be found guilty of braking the law. Now there’s another one, not even a year later.
Quite possibly this is another distraction, especially as he is getting hammered for giving so much “levelling” up money to areas with Tory constituencies (including his own) and to the South East, whilst giving north to so many of the genuinely poorest areas.
Edit.
With regards to people getting political priorities wrong, that can be seen on this thread where people will spend days arguing about what is happening elsewhere in the world, whilst not seeming to have an opinion on what is happening in the UK.
I don't normally go along with the "there are more important things to worry about" argument. In this case what I was commenting on was more to do with what it takes to rouse the British public from their political slumber.
That's not an exact comparison though. This is a discussion board for football with a political thread attached that some don't even comment on at all. UK politics are well covered and it would be pretty one dimensional if that was the only subject.
Not seen much/anything on here about Zahawi being hammered for tax avoidance, or Gove’s defence of him, in which he claims that as Zahawi has paid what is due he shouldn’t be under scrutiny for having avoided paying it in the first place. A bit like a bank robber giving the money back and expecting not to be punished for robbing the bank in the first place.
For background, Zahawi is on record denying that he was connected to the money he has been taxed on.
RISHI Sunak faces calls to sack mega-rich Tory chairman Nadhim Zahawi amid claims he agreed to pay nearly £5million to settle a tax dispute after being hit with a 30% penalty.
Labour yesterday demanded Mr Zahawi’s dismissal after new details about the penalty were reported, with one expert saying the sum shelled out suggests the MP may have admitted “carelessness” on his behalf.
A source told The Guardian that the penalty was handed out after he sold more than £20million of shares in polling firm YouGov.
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “Nadhim Zahawi’s story doesn’t add up. It’s time for Rishi Sunak to put his money where his mouth is and dismiss [him] from his Cabinet.”
Dan Neidle, of the Tax Policy Associates think-tank, said “you don’t pay a 30% penalty if your tax affairs are in order”.
For background, Zahawi is on record denying that he was connected to the money he has been taxed on.
RISHI Sunak faces calls to sack mega-rich Tory chairman Nadhim Zahawi amid claims he agreed to pay nearly £5million to settle a tax dispute after being hit with a 30% penalty.
Labour yesterday demanded Mr Zahawi’s dismissal after new details about the penalty were reported, with one expert saying the sum shelled out suggests the MP may have admitted “carelessness” on his behalf.
A source told The Guardian that the penalty was handed out after he sold more than £20million of shares in polling firm YouGov.
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “Nadhim Zahawi’s story doesn’t add up. It’s time for Rishi Sunak to put his money where his mouth is and dismiss [him] from his Cabinet.”
Dan Neidle, of the Tax Policy Associates think-tank, said “you don’t pay a 30% penalty if your tax affairs are in order”.
No it’s not a direct comparison but to quote you from another post above
There is, and has been for many years, a complacency in the UK that has allowed corrupt politicians to get away with robbing the country blind, whilst moving further and further to the right in the direction of fascism.
People, such as myself, post UK political comments on here, but the lack of discussion on UK politics shows that UK politics is not that well covered on here.
One of the major problems with the constant flow of corruption within the current government is that I'm regularly hearing the phrase "Well, they're all the same" from the mouths of people who aren't terribly politically engaged.
It's a phrase that has little basis in fact but it's a narrative that's catching on. People listen to the words "Current Conservative government corruption" and hear the words "Westminster corruption".
The constant lying and rule-breaking by the party in power (from the very top down) is undermining trust in the institutions of government. It leads to people not caring.
No good will come of this.
Vin
It's a phrase that has little basis in fact but it's a narrative that's catching on. People listen to the words "Current Conservative government corruption" and hear the words "Westminster corruption".
The constant lying and rule-breaking by the party in power (from the very top down) is undermining trust in the institutions of government. It leads to people not caring.
No good will come of this.
Vin
The public are gullible, superficial, and easily manipulated; they voted for Brexit. They keep voting Tory. They are better informed about the competitors on Strictly or I’m a Celebrity than they are about political candidates in an election. There’s a reason why we’re up a certain creek without a paddle…
And this is why politics, IMO, should be taught at schools so that young people will learn the difference between the different parties in the UK and also get an overall understanding of global politics covering the whole range of political beliefs.
That's exactly why it's not taught, because the last thing a government needs is an educated population with opinions and an understanding of why and how they are being screwed.
Bread and circuses ST, as it has been for a couple of millenia
I’m not really concerned about Sunak’s seatbelt tbh. But why is Nadhim Zahawi’s £3,000,000 tax evasion not all over the news?
Top story on the BBC site and covered by all the nationals?