OT: British Gas, Centrica & the forgotten crimes of Tories

[jamesmcdonnell]

Call me a marxist if you want but it is the states job (especially one as wealthy as ours) to provide affordable gas, water and electricity to the people. Why on earth should the supply of electrcity and gas to the nation be run on a profit margin? How ridiculous! Especially when old people are dying because they can't afford to pay the gas bill!

It happens in other parts of the world. Why can the South Korean goverment (for example) run a clean, inexpensive, efficient, safe metro system when the British can't - it cost me 2 quid to get from my suburb to the centre of Seoul - about 90 minutes travelling time - how much do you think that would cost in the UK?

Next it will be the health system and people will be saying 'under the commies the NHS was losing money - now under the Tories/BNP it is making a PROFIT' and the shareholders can clink their champagne glasses in toast as they make more money as more people die because they can't afford to go to hospital.

The problem with your idea is that people essentially don't want communism; or at least rich people don't, and therin lies the problem.

Water, housing, gas, electricity, all of these things should be provied without a profit, but we would all live in a very different world if that were the case.

The companies who provide gas and electricity, would also argue that without them the infrastructure for delivery would not exist, much like B.T, who STILL have a monopoly, owning all of the copper cabling which still underpins most of our telecoms system.

The government is merely paying lipservice to the problem with talk of a windfall tax, they couldn't give a toss how much British Gas makes in profit, they are just trying to placate the angry electorate.

The tories will make profit from more bad news for labour, but they are even worse when it comes to assisting big business in making vast profits, so they can go fornicate themselves.

The sad truth is, that the economy now runs the country, big business is the real power, and governments merely act as bean counters and are forced to kow-tow to the almighty mammon. No government can afford to piss off big multinational corporations in this day and age.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

There's another factor at work here.

The unit cost of Gas is also being driven up, because people are becoming more careful about energy use, and therefore people are using les gas, less electricity.

In order to maintain their vast profits, they therefore drive up the unit price to maintain equilibrium. The government know this full well and the

My last gas bill was absolutely huge, 247 quid for a single quarter! I live in a one bedroom flat, and haven't had the heating on once since March! Absolutely effing disgusting.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

There's another factor at work here.

The unit cost of Gas is also being driven up, because people are becoming more careful about energy use, and therefore people are using les gas, less electricity.

In order to maintain their vast profits, they therefore drive up the unit price to maintain equilibrium. The government know this full well and the

My last gas bill was absolutely huge, 247 quid for a single quarter! I live in a one bedroom flat, and haven't had the heating on once since March! Absolutely effing disgusting.

You want to come to South Korea mate - I have had my monthly electricity bill (I've had the air con on all day - it has been fornicating hot ) and it came to 13,000 won (7 pound 50) my water bill for the month is 3000 won (1 pound 50)

People are getting the arse pulled out of the pants in the UK - next will be the health service - the thing I don't understand is this is what a lot of people seem to want! Why I don't know!

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Call me a marxist if you want but it is the states job (especially one as wealthy as ours) to provide affordable gas, water and electricity to the people. Why on earth should the supply of electrcity and gas to the nation be run on a profit margin? How ridiculous! Especially when old people are dying because they can't afford to pay the gas bill!

It happens in other parts of the world. Why can the South Korean goverment (for example) run a clean, inexpensive, efficient, safe metro system when the British can't - it cost me 2 quid to get from my suburb to the centre of Seoul - about 90 minutes travelling time - how much do you think that would cost in the UK?

Next it will be the health system and people will be saying 'under the commies the NHS was losing money - now under the Tories/BNP it is making a PROFIT' and the shareholders can clink their champagne glasses in toast as they make more money as more people die because they can't afford to go to hospital.

The problem with your idea is that people essentially don't want communism; or at least rich people don't, and therin lies the problem.

Water, housing, gas, electricity, all of these things should be provied without a profit, but we would all live in a very different world if that were the case.

The companies who provide gas and electricity, would also argue that without them the infrastructure for delivery would not exist, much like B.T, who STILL have a monopoly, owning all of the copper cabling which still underpins most of our telecoms system.

The government is merely paying lipservice to the problem with talk of a windfall tax, they couldn't give a toss how much British Gas makes in profit, they are just trying to placate the angry electorate.

The tories will make profit from more bad news for labour, but they are even worse when it comes to assisting big business in making vast profits, so they can go eff themselves.

The sad truth is, that the economy now runs the country, big business is the real power, and governments merely act as bean counters and are forced to kow-tow to the almighty mammon. No government can afford to piss off big multinational corporations in this day and age.

It works in other countries though, as I have just quoted with my electricity bill Some things are morally the responsibility of the goverment - apart from the greedy, robbing shisters who ran our join for 20 years who sold everything off! They must have known the day the Germans bought our utilites on the open market we were in serious trouble - or shall I say the people were in serious trouble - as you rightly say James - the rich man, the shareholder is laughing all the way to the bank.

[HughJohnson]

I dont know about politics, all i know is the rich are happy, those middle class are satisfied, and the rest dont give a fornicate because it doesnt matter who is charge...
On a personal level to see corparations making such massive profits is a complete slap in the face to humanity and is the perfect example of greed...every company that makes huge profits is doing so out of the blood and sweat and tears of others, and i for one refuse to line thier deep, deep pockets any further......Fvck them, Fvck the goverment , FVck everyone who makes a profit from someone elses toil.

[scrap iron]

However can someone please explain to me what the difference is between a Conservative and a Labour Politician now ?

The colour of their ties

erm, working families tax credits, minimum wage, unprecedented public sector pay increase, greatest investment in the NHS ever! Just a few little ones for you... Where as the Tories would bring in the policies which punish women for being single mothers among other terrible ideas.

I agree with some of your points, but if there have been "unprecendented public sector pay increases" why do the PCS and UNISON keep going on strike over pay? Also I agree with you about working tax credit, but there is a lot of people who also receive tax credit who aren't working. So you have the bizarre situation of some low-paid people who pay their taxes being refused financial help, but other non-working and non-taxpaying people who do. And this government complains that too many people in this country are now claiming benefits?! I'm not sure if the Tories have or haven't "punish women for being single mother", but Labour certainly have created more single parents by forcing couples with children to live apart as they face the alternative of receiving less finacial help if they stay together. Surely depriving a child of having both parents is a bigger sin?

[banjo]

erm, working families tax credits, minimum wage, unprecedented public sector pay increase, greatest investment in the NHS ever! Just a few little ones for you... Where as the Tories would bring in the policies which punish women for being single mothers among other terrible ideas.

At least the Tories never sent me to fight in illegal wars even though when I signed up in Feb 01 they told me I'd be defending the sovereignty of the United Kingdom(Afghanistan and Iraq have never been a threat), let thousands of unskilled immigrants come over, also where are these tax credits you speak of? I haven't received any and I want some tax credits and I also want a referendum

[lowersmiths]

Dave, you lead us off .... all together now....

I was a miner
I was a docker
I was a railway man
Between the wars
I raised a family
In times of austerity
With sweat at the foundry
Between the wars.
I paid the union and as times got harder
I looked to the government to help the working man
And they brought prosperity down at the armoury
We're arming for peace, me boys
Between the wars.
I kept the faith and I kept voting
Not for the iron fist but for the helping hand
For theirs is a land with a wall around it
And mine is a faith in my fellow man
Theirs is a land of hope and glory
Mine is the green field and the factory floor
Theirs are the skies all dark with bombers
And mine is the peace we knew
Between the wars.
Call up the craftsmen
Bring me the draftsmen
Build me a path from cradle to grave
And I'll give my consent
To any government
That does not deny a man a living wage.
Go find the young men never to fight again
Bring up the banners from the days gone by
Sweet moderation
Heart of this nation
Desert us not, we are
Between the wars.

[scrap iron]

erm, working families tax credits, minimum wage, unprecedented public sector pay increase, greatest investment in the NHS ever! Just a few little ones for you... Where as the Tories would bring in the policies which punish women for being single mothers among other terrible ideas.

At least the Tories never sent me to fight in illegal wars even though when I signed up in Feb 01 they told me I'd be defending the sovereignty of the United Kingdom(Afghanistan and Iraq have never been a threat), let thousands of unskilled immigrants come over, also where are these tax credits you speak of? I haven't received any and I want some tax credits and I also want a referendum

This is my point. Banjo is someone who has put his life on the line for this country and has probably worked his knackers off through most of his working life, yet isn't given any tax credits despite his years of paying tax which actually set up this godforsaken tax credit system! I still find it incredible that you do not have to pay any income tax, council tax, national insurance contributions or any other deductions your entire life, but still be able to qualify for every benefit, state pension and tax credit under the sun. I'm proud we live in a country which gives out a helping hand to those who genuinely need it, but it's time we spread that help out to some other people.
If Brown had any courage in his convictions he would have called a general election back in November 2007. Instead we had to put up with his scrapping of the 10p base rate and his increased green tax on older car owners. The reason people drive cars older then March 2001 isn't because they want to pollute the environment it's because they haven't got the money to buy a new one!! And Brown wants to take more money off these people!!

[Coco]

My council tax bill in Spain is 90 euros a year, my rubbish gets picked up every week(rather than fortnightly) there are more police about, the roads are in good nick
They don't have car tax either
And there is a free healthcare system

[lowersmiths]

no council tax, electricity five quid a month, rubbish collected every DAY, traffic offence - four quid on the spot and no points.

[Coco]

no council tax, electricity five quid a month, rubbish collected every DAY, traffic offence - four quid on the spot and no points.

Where is that?

[DavidPayne]

Dave, you lead us off .... all together now....

I was a miner
I was a docker
I was a railway man
Between the wars
I raised a family
In times of austerity
With sweat at the foundry
Between the wars.
I paid the union and as times got harder
I looked to the government to help the working man
And they brought prosperity down at the armoury
We're arming for peace, me boys
Between the wars.
I kept the faith and I kept voting
Not for the iron fist but for the helping hand
For theirs is a land with a wall around it
And mine is a faith in my fellow man
Theirs is a land of hope and glory
Mine is the green field and the factory floor
Theirs are the skies all dark with bombers
And mine is the peace we knew
Between the wars.
Call up the craftsmen
Bring me the draftsmen
Build me a path from cradle to grave
And I'll give my consent
To any government
That does not deny a man a living wage.
Go find the young men never to fight again
Bring up the banners from the days gone by
Sweet moderation
Heart of this nation
Desert us not, we are
Between the wars.

Oh I Lower. Tha Grimsby roots come to the surface.

[Ted]

Yea,

but its all good, look on the bright side -

There will be more people boxing their way to a brighter future, cos the working classes will be skint soon.

[harrygreb]

so its still blame the tories after over 10 years of labour rule in which they have done nothing to reverse this energy sell off the tories implemented. thats not the tories problem, after all this time its labours problem. or what passes for the labour party these days. tony wasnt stupid - he knew what was coming and ran for the hills. leaving poor old GB to handle it. the power in the world has shifted. the USA is in decline, though it will be many years before they are even remotely 2nd best in the scheme of things. we fastened on to them just as their power was being sucked away by the oil crisis.
nu labour is old con. the new tories will win next time because labour have become tired and clueless and need time in opposition to find out who the hell they really are.

[J]

who gives a f*ck i live in barbados

in serioussness the mess the country is in right now and I dont blame red or blue its a combination of whats gone on before and present ineptitude, was a major factor in me wanting to go overseas.

Basically you reap what you sow and right now the UK is in right state of affairs. I have no clue what the answer is and for now (and I knwo this is short sighted and selfish) I dont care. I wanted out of the poxy place at least for a break.

Though I know I shall always return home, just probably not to London, not greater London at least.

But by then I'll have enough cash to pick and choose where my family and I can live safely and happily. Im not sure you can do that in the majority of Britain right now.

If anyone thinks thats extremlly captialist and elitist, I dont give a shit. You have to look after your nearest and dearest first.

[funso banjo baby]

things like the coal mining industry went to the wall because supposedly they couldnt compete

however....

when banks start to go to the wall...watch the britsih and american govs bail them out ....hows that fair

[Coco]

things like the coal mining industry went to the wall because supposedly they couldnt compete

however....

when banks start to go to the wall...watch the britsih and american govs bail them out ....hows that fair

Because banks are essentially a sustainable industry.
Nationalised industies were subsidised for years but the money was only going one way, they were never going to make a profit, the losses almost brought this country to it's knees.
If banks run there business in the same way they would not be bailed out either, it is a short term fix

[HughJohnson]

who gives a f*ck i live in barbados

in serioussness the mess the country is in right now and I dont blame red or blue its a combination of whats gone on before and present ineptitude, was a major factor in me wanting to go overseas.

Basically you reap what you sow and right now the UK is in right state of affairs. I have no clue what the answer is and for now (and I knwo this is short sighted and selfish) I dont care. I wanted out of the poxy place at least for a break.

Though I know I shall always return home, just probably not to London, not greater London at least.

But by then I'll have enough cash to pick and choose where my family and I can live safely and happily. Im not sure you can do that in the majority of Britain right now.

If anyone thinks thats extremlly captialist and elitist, I dont give a shit. You have to look after your nearest and dearest first.

Hello J, hows Barbados, can you get some top weed???. I dont blame you for bettering yourself, but the last sentence you type`d is the entire reason this country and many others shall go down the pan, because people are thinking of themselves rather than the bigger picture, line your own and f*uck the rest, seems to be the thing to do......remember J , im not having a go directly at you....

[WildWaylon]

I grew up in a working class community in Sheffield.
My father worked gruelling shifts all his life, and my grandfather before him.
I would have been slaughtered literally if I had ever mentioned the words Tory or Conservative within ear shot of either of these proud men.
However can someone please explain to me what the difference is between a Conservative and a Labour Politician now ?

New Labour equals Conservative so there is no difference but Labour is the better of the two evils. Polititions are all two faced feathering their own nests and looking after their careers. Tony Benn although a bit radical in his views came accross as a caring person, fighting for the needs of the working classes, yet as a labour minister he was a bastard like the rest of them. The last thing this country needs is a Tory government. What we do need however is a new leader/PM for the Labour party. If Brown stays they will lose for certain, especially since younger voters dont remember how bad it is being governed by the Tories. One of the main reasons why gas, water, the railways Etc were privatised was to stop these huge organisations from holding the government to ransome over pay deals. Remember the Tories fell in their fight against the miners. Heath went to the country and lost letting Wilson back in, who settled with the miners. Nothing will improve in this country, it can only get worse.

[J]

who gives a f*ck i live in barbados

in serioussness the mess the country is in right now and I dont blame red or blue its a combination of whats gone on before and present ineptitude, was a major factor in me wanting to go overseas.

Basically you reap what you sow and right now the UK is in right state of affairs. I have no clue what the answer is and for now (and I knwo this is short sighted and selfish) I dont care. I wanted out of the poxy place at least for a break.

Though I know I shall always return home, just probably not to London, not greater London at least.

But by then I'll have enough cash to pick and choose where my family and I can live safely and happily. Im not sure you can do that in the majority of Britain right now.

If anyone thinks thats extremlly captialist and elitist, I dont give a shit. You have to look after your nearest and dearest first.

Hello J, hows Barbados, can you get some top weed???. I dont blame you for bettering yourself, but the last sentence you type`d is the entire reason this country and many others shall go down the pan, because people are thinking of themselves rather than the bigger picture, line your own and f*uck the rest, seems to be the thing to do......remember J , im not having a go directly at you....

nah dont touch the stuff.....allegedly.

yeah I know and you do have a valid point but Ive lived in the uk and for the past 20 years as a fully paid up tax payer and have contributed more than most towards the upkeep of oor great nation in montary terms, never been unemployed adn get raped by the government more each year, my question what have the politicians done with that cash, squandered it for jobs for the boys, paid tossers like Livingstone millions to line their own pockets despite their own condemnations of such practices....

Nah mate they have had their chance, they wont look after ya, if you dont look after yourself and loved ones first and foremost no fecker else will. The mantra that we should all care equal amounts about each other and our society is a nice one, but as communisim proved, it just doesnt work.

keep it real fella and no offence meant or taken just interesting chat

[HughJohnson]

who gives a f*ck i live in barbados

in serioussness the mess the country is in right now and I dont blame red or blue its a combination of whats gone on before and present ineptitude, was a major factor in me wanting to go overseas.

Basically you reap what you sow and right now the UK is in right state of affairs. I have no clue what the answer is and for now (and I knwo this is short sighted and selfish) I dont care. I wanted out of the poxy place at least for a break.

Though I know I shall always return home, just probably not to London, not greater London at least.

But by then I'll have enough cash to pick and choose where my family and I can live safely and happily. Im not sure you can do that in the majority of Britain right now.

If anyone thinks thats extremlly captialist and elitist, I dont give a shit. You have to look after your nearest and dearest first.

Hello J, hows Barbados, can you get some top weed???. I dont blame you for bettering yourself, but the last sentence you type`d is the entire reason this country and many others shall go down the pan, because people are thinking of themselves rather than the bigger picture, line your own and f*uck the rest, seems to be the thing to do......remember J , im not having a go directly at you....

nah dont touch the stuff.....allegedly.

yeah I know and you do have a valid point but Ive lived in the uk and for the past 20 years as a fully paid up tax payer and have contributed more than most towards the upkeep of oor great nation in montary terms, never been unemployed adn get raped by the government more each year, my question what have the politicians done with that cash, squandered it for jobs for the boys, paid tossers like Livingstone millions to line their own pockets despite their own condemnations of such practices....

Nah mate they have had their chance, they wont look after ya, if you dont look after yourself and loved ones first and foremost no fecker else will. The mantra that we should all care equal amounts about each other and our society is a nice one, but as communisim proved, it just doesnt work.

keep it real fella and no offence meant or taken just interesting chat

I agree mate with lots you say and one person wont make any difference, i look after my small family by doing the best i can, but seeing this country degenerate into this horrible place to live, in this country endevor rarely gives you just rewards.....it`s little wonder the masses drink themselves to sleep, smoke,toot, jack themselves into oblivion......what do we live for...to make other people rich?...its sad.

People with more than enough money to live comfortably whilst children sleep in boxes, Celebritys with wild wealth for showing thier tits....F*ck man its wrong.

Anyhow....on that glorious note, have fun in the sun, son.

[J]

Yeah I agree mate, wht type of country have we become when kids cant play in the park for fear of being stabbed or abducted its a sad endictment on our society....

and i willmate 4 years out here so if anyone is ever passing through.....pm me know some good spots already