After the terrorist assault which knocked out the Nord Stream gasoline pipeline, broadly blamed on Russia, does anybody in Whitehall nonetheless assume it is a good suggestion to import electrical energy from Morocco?
There are already fears that Putin may goal Britain’s North Sea power infrastructure, in retaliation for our help of Ukraine. A 3rd of this nation’s gasoline provide presently comes through two pipelines from Norway. North Sea oil and gasoline rigs are in danger, too, in response to defence consultants.
Russian submarines might additionally sabotage undersea communications cables which service the worldwide banking business. Towards this background it could be insane to go forward with plans to put 4 2,300-mile lengthy cables from Morocco to Devon, designed to convey ‘sustainable’ photo voltaic and wind energy from the Sahara Desert.
By no means thoughts Mad Vlad, the £18 billion undertaking could be an irresistible goal for Islamist terror teams in North Africa, determined to strike a blow towards the Little Devil.
There are already fears that Putin may goal Britain’s North Sea power infrastructure, in retaliation for our help of Ukraine. A 3rd of this nation’s gasoline provide presently comes through two pipelines from Norway. North Sea oil and gasoline rigs are in danger, too, in response to defence consultants
Ministers wedded to the Fantasy Island Web Zero agenda are drawn to the scheme for 2 causes. Electrical energy generated in Morocco could be half the worth of nuclear power produced in Britain.
And in contrast to our personal intermittent Warfare Of The Worlds windmills, Saharan generators are assured to function 20 hours a day. With power payments going by means of the roof, politicians are determined for any supply of low cost, inexperienced electrical energy.
Labour’s resolution, unveiled at its convention this week, is to create a brand new, publicly owned organisation referred to as Nice British Vitality.
Keir Starmer says will probably be a stand-alone firm and he is ruling out full re-nationalisation of the power sector, though that is what most of his activists need.
He says it could have a funds of £8 billion to spend money on renewables and rising applied sciences.
Sounds suspiciously to me just like the failed coverage of governments ‘selecting winners’ earlier than pouring billions of kilos of taxpayers’ cash down a black gap, by no means to be seen once more.
Keir Starmer says will probably be a stand-alone firm and he is ruling out full re-nationalisation of the power sector, though that is what most of his activists need
Politicians, particularly Labour politicians, have a dismal file on the subject of backing profitable enterprises. They don’t have any enterprise working corporations.
These are the identical type of people that introduced you British Leyland, British Metal, the Meriden Bike Co-operative and Higher Clyde Shipbuilders, all of which collapsed. My guess is Nice British Vitality would undergo the identical destiny.
And the place would this £8 billion come from? Apparently, it could be drawn from a yet-to-be-established Nationwide Wealth Fund. What ‘wealth’? Final time anybody regarded, Britain was drowning in debt, after borrowing tons of of billions to beat Covid.
I would not belief Labour to run a shower, not to mention an power firm.
We have been right here earlier than.
After I was an industrial correspondent, the power market was managed by the federal government. It was a catastrophe. The unions ran the businesses, which misplaced cash hand over fist. Provide was continuously interrupted by strikes. Energy cuts have been commonplace.
After I was an industrial correspondent, the power market was managed by the federal government. It was a catastrophe. The unions ran the businesses, which misplaced cash hand over fist. Provide was continuously interrupted by strikes. Energy cuts have been commonplace
The issue we face now could be worth, which is ready not domestically however globally. Admittedly, the non-public power corporations could be boastful. Some are poorly run, however they’re an unlimited enchancment on what got here earlier than.
Again within the unhealthy outdated days earlier than privatisation, the utilities have been run fully for the good thing about those that labored for them.
In pretty latest reminiscence — to an outdated git like me, at the least — you could possibly solely purchase a cooker from the gasoline or electrical energy board after which needed to wait weeks for a unionised fitter to come back spherical and plug it in. It might take six months to get a phone put in.
Competitors put a cease to that. We now stay in an age of bewildering alternative. But, curiously, it’s youthful folks used to immediate gratification through cellular apps, web purchasing, same-day supply and Ubers on demand, who continuously say they’re in favour of nationalisation. Watch out what you want for, children.
Sadly, far too lots of my technology have been lulled by Covid into considering authorities ought to and should present the reply to all life’s issues.
Which is why Starmer thinks he is on to a winner with Nice British Vitality. He says, with some justification, that for too lengthy we have been paying our power payments to corporations with abroad house owners, similar to France’s EDF.
Gordon Brown promised British jobs for British employees. Starmer guarantees British power for the British folks.
The simplest technique to do it could be to help the latest resolution to carry the ban on fracking. However Starmer is dedicated to reversing that. He is additionally pledging to finish using fossil fuels for power technology by 2030.
Good luck with that.
If successive governments hadn’t turned their backs on gasoline and oil in pursuit of the elusive Web Zero, we would not be on this mess right this moment.
That is why the Truss Authorities is true to green-light fracking and encourage additional extraction within the North Sea.
For now, we’re on the mercy of Putin, though fortuitously we’re higher positioned than most different European nations.
The reply is to drill, child, drill. Not provide you with hare-brained schemes to import electrical energy from the Sahara Desert.
If ever a plan might correctly be referred to as a pipe dream, that is it.
Talking of gender fluidity (see Virgin under), Daniel Craig practically turned the primary 007 to transition in On line casino Royale.
Keep in mind that excruciating scene the place he is strapped stark bare to a hollowed-out chair, whereas arch-villain Le Chiffre, performed by Mads Mikkelsen, units about his undercarriage with a knotted rope.
That was in 2006. Now producer Barbara Broccoli intends to emasculate Bond for actual. She needs whoever succeeds Craig to play a superwoke, delicate 007. ‘Bond is evolving simply as males are evolving,’ she advised {a magazine}.
Oh expensive, is the world prepared for a non-binary undercover agent, driving a Prius and consuming an alcohol-free natural infusion, stirred, not shaken?
The identify’s Bond, Jane Bond.
Following Tuesday’s column concerning the Outdated Invoice ordering 1000’s of XXL trousers — sizes 40 to 56in waists — I heard from Roger Graham, a retired West Midlands DCI. He wonders what dimension they’re shopping for for the lads.
Footnote to Tuesday’s point out of the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege. I hadn’t realised — or, extra possible, had forgotten — the one surviving gunman was nonetheless right here. On his launch in 2007 from a ‘life’ sentence, his legal professionals argued that to ship him again to Iran could be a breach of his yuman rites as a result of he might have confronted torture or demise. Oh, expensive, how unhappy, by no means thoughts. Though the Residence Workplace stated Britain does not give refugee standing to convicted terrorists, he now lives in South London beneath an assumed identify. Makes you proud to be British.
There shall be no statue of Queen Elizabeth on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Sq., says London’s Labour mayor Genghis Khan.
Thank heaven for that. Her Maj deserves a much more becoming memorial than being caught on a pedestal which has been house to a collection of avant-garde tat over the previous few years.
Nothing lower than an impressive statue on The Mall or in Hyde Park will do. Maybe Wee Burney might unveil one outdoors Bute Home in Edinburgh, too.
Virgin Atlantic has introduced that cabin crew will have the ability to put on whichever model of uniform they select ‘irrespective of their gender, gender identification or gender expression’.
The official launch featured a male flight attendant modelling a pink pencil skirt and excessive heels.
As a daily Virgin buyer, I could not care much less what they put on, supplied they keep in mind to place sufficient ice in my massive VAT. I might have sworn I noticed a male steward carrying nail varnish final time I flew.
Anyway, I beat them to it. Final 12 months, after a Vietnamese airline featured stewardesses in bikinis, I urged it was solely a matter of time earlier than Richard Branson adopted swimsuit.
I joked that I used to be certain he’d don’t have any hassle speaking his extra flamboyant male trolley dollies into carrying Borat-style mankinis.
Brace positions, everybody!
