Many a true word spoken in jest

In the past day or so the Labour candidate for Rossendale and Darwen was among a number of people who pointed out that green taxes, many of them dating back to Ed Miliband's time as Energy Secretary, are a significant contributing factor to rising energy prices.

This is what the media calls a "gaffe" e.g. when a politician speaks the truth even though it may be seen as embarrassing for his party to do so. I'm sure there will be many other things on which I disagree with this gentleman but pointing out that Mr Miliband is posing as an advocate of low energy prices when his actions in government put them up is only a statement of the obvious.

I am surprised that it has been left to humour site "The Daily Mash" to point out another totally obvious conclusion - that Ed Miliband's promise to cap energy prices in 2015 if he wins may have consequences for what happens to energy price rises between the day he made the speech and the next election as companies try to "beat the cap."

There is many a true word spoken in jest and if you have a working brain, the Daily Mash piece here will either make you fall about laughing or make you very angry, at least partly with Ed Miliband.

Comments

Jim said…
I also wonder what happens after?

See Eds "fanstasic" policy - capping prices, he himself pushed up with bad policy in the first place, for 20 months.

Then what?
Do the energy companies hike prices to protect their margins, or does he go for another freeze? Possibly a mixture of both i.e cap the raises then re-cap the prices?
I dont know, but one thing is for certain, there is no way it could ever reduce energy prices.

Well actually it may reduce our energy bills. Price controls always WITHOUT EXCEPTION always reduce supply. If the energy companies can not make money, or even if they think they can't, they will simply head off to a place they think they can. Thus the supply in the UK fails and the lights go out. But you said it may reduce our energy bills Jim? - well yeah, after all you cant spend all your money on energy if there is no energy to buy can you.
Jim said…
Although i can see Red Ed peering over the box in envy at Geroge Osbournes half baked help to buy scheme. He really must be green with envy that he did not come up with such a daft plan.

Here is an idea, in the face of all these idiotic ideas, one that will actually clear the deficit.

Lets learn from the USA.
Lets shut our government down for a month too. Honestly, it could be the best thing we ever do.
I mean sure, Librarys would close for a month, but hey, how many people really use them anyway, t'internet has largely made them redundant. Sure start centres would close - oh no, what a night mare, could you imagine going without them, oh yeah we did didn't we. There would be no traffic wardens - cor what a horrible world that would be. No HSE to come and tell you how you need to build a scaffold to change a light bulb, thus allowing you to actually do a job. Will people starve if they go without tax credits for a while, or would they actually do something else instead, earn some money without the threat of the tax man taking it all away in the first place.

There is the funding already in place to keep essentials for a month or so, like the police and fire services, even emergency health care need not be affected, just all the other non jobs would have to go home for a month.

On the local level well it is true Pubic toilets would close, Dustbins would not be emptied so often, streets would not be swept, the roads would be full of potholes....................To anyone who lives in Copeland this might sound familiar anyway, the only thing you would notice is you don't have to pay council tax for a month.

I don't think our government would ever allow this to happen though, you see they would be terrified that people may notice we need them much less than they and many voters think we do.

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