Labour's dilemma - Welfare and Energy

Readers of previous blogs will have gathered that I am not particularly fond of the UK Labour Party.  Indeed, I have mentally re-christened them the Welfare Party.

However, I feel compelled to offer them advice on where they are going wrong and what they might do to turn things around.  Of course, this blog being open to all, it is just possible that the Conservatives will consider and then implement these.

Welfare - Labour is seen as the Welfare party - the party that values providing excessive welfare to a minority of people more than valuing the efforts of people who actually work for a living.  They opposed the Welfare Cap, even though it still provided an over-generous level.  They have opposed the idea, even the mention, of benefits that are regionally set.  They have constantly placed themselves on the side of the claimant rather than the taxpayer.

Labour's own private polling shows that support for welfare reform is a major vote winner and yet  the left-wing cabal that controls the party, sticks to it's failed and unpopular policies.

So, my advice to the two Eds is  be bold - 'out-Tory' the Conservatives - set the welfare cap below the UK national average wage - let's say at 80% - so £20,000 - show that you have heard the people and understand that it is important to recognize that in order to get people into work, they need an incentive.  Similarly, grasp the nettle of regional benefits.  If people are on benefits and genuinely in need of help, why should those living in a low cost areas get the same level of benefits as those in London, say?  Of course, this still requires the national 'cap' of £20,000!

Energy is much more problematic.  Ed Miliband's conference pledge to freeze energy prices is unraveling.  People see it as a cheap and essentially meaningless offer.  That this harks back to Labour's soviet-style obsession with control, doesn't help either.  Nowadays it isn't just people that have long memories, so do social media sites and blogs.  People dredge-up and post all those comments made by  Miliband when he was part of Gordon Brown's disastrous administration, when he insisted that energy prices had to rise for a decade.  When he initiated so called green taxes that do far more to push-up energy costs for families and businesses, than do the profits of energy companies.

So,

• Abandon the green taxes - wins votes across the country from grateful voters who see this as a real and sustainable cost of living reduction.
• Remove VAT from energy bills - see above
• End the subsidies for wind farms  - as well as taking money from 'rich' landowners (core labour policy) also garners rural votes from people who oppose the despoilation of the countryside.

Of course the Conservatives just might beat you to the punch on these - after all, they finally did on the EU Referendum (though Labour still have time to jump on this popular bandwagon) but you still have time!


  

Energy hypocrisy - not to be missed

The UK utility companies have all now, save for e on, issued announcements of significant and way above inflation increases in fuel prices. 

The latest was French giant EDF which announced increase which average out at 10.8%.  Naturally the media rigorously investigated the cause or need for such a large increase - oh wait!  They didn't.

EDF stated that the reason that this increase was necessary was because wholesale gas prices had risen by 4%, oh, and the rest was caused by power users needing to subsidize renewable energy costs and the vulnerable.

I do not have a problem with EDF making a profit, reported to be £ 1.6 billion, last year.  This, on a turnover of more than £52 billion doesn't seem excessive.  Anyway, isn't Ofgem there to see that the utility companies are not gouging us?

I do though have a problem with having to subsidize the ugly and inefficient renewables power sector.  And to be subsidizing them in such a great way but also in such a concealed way.  Why are political parties not shouting, loudly and often, that the greater portion of our energy costs are being used to sustain an otherwise totally unsustainable industry?  Where is the media outrage at this wholesale daylight and nighttime robbery?

I am afraid you won't see it because to do so would be to attack two of the greatest of modern day myths - The EU and the 'man-made Global warming' lie.

The EU is pushing for and legislating for carbon emission reductions - the UK is in the forefront of closing down coal fired power stations.  So much in the front that Ofgem predict we will experience wide-spread power outages within a couple of years.  Not because we can't afford the fuel or because it isn't available but simply because we are choosing to follow idiotic and half-baked (and certainly un-joined-up) Green policies.

The James Delingpole book, Watermelons, does a far better job than I could ever do at exposing the sham and shaming so called 'science' about 'man-made Global warming'.  I strongly recommend this as a must-read.  Delingpole painstakingly and convincingly confronts the myths being perpetrated  and exposes them for the lies that they are.

 Then there is the other purported reason for the higher than wholesale price increase - namely that the energy providers are now taking on the social responsibility of subsidizing the 'vulnerable in society'.  Yes that's right!  Energy prices now act as a re-distributive tax to take from some and give to others.

What's next?  Mothercare or Tesco charging higher prices for disposable nappies and then subsidizing those poor teenage mums who made the wrong 'career choice'?

Surely if these 'vulnerable members of society' needed help in paying their bills then the state's welfare programmes should be used?  Not some hidden 'poor tax' in our energy prices.

Oh, and think again about those wholesale gas price increases.  Where in the world have they decreased rather than increased?  The good old US of A.  Why?  Because the USA has embraced shale gas and is full-on exploiting it.  In  the UK and EU though, this is something that the 'greens' simply can't allow.  A hair shirt is only effective if it hurts make it from angora and it just doesn't achieve the redistributive goal!

Don't let anyone tell you that these price increases couldn't be avoided!  And, when you and your family are sitting around a candle, wrapped up in sweaters and overcoats, remember it is the 'greens' that pushed us to this and consider that, if they have their way, those man-made fibres that are barely keeping you warm, will have to go as well!         

David Cameron must know about this con game, he must.  Apparently his father-in-law is a major beneficiary of the wind-power subsidy.  Why the pretend that he wants to do something about energy prices?  Did someone mention hypocrisy?