Current Affairs

[Mervyn and Trish]

When I was young, around the time of Dickens, we had very good youth clubs, which I attended. They were not government or council funded. Generally they were run by local churches.

We also had parents who took responsibility for their kids. And respect for the police. We had discipline at school. And we didn't have liberal lefty wets who would take teachers to court if they shouted at a child.

But we still had delinquents who would no more join a youth club than enter a convent.

[towny44]

You don't know that. Equally if there was more funding for youth activities then those that do end up as delinquents wouldn't because they had something to do.

Sorry but I totally disagree, the more people get to rely on subsidised activities, the less they are likely to become well rounded contributors to society.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Here's my asinine plan for the energy crisis.

Freeze prices for consumers at the level before the latest price cap increase. Make clear to suppliers this is a subsidy of consumers not their shareholders. Tax all their profits during this period however long it lasts, at 50%. Tax anything distributed to shareholders at 110%. Tell them the alternative is nationalisation without compensation.

Secure energy supplies for the future in the short term by starting fracking immediately. This to be paid for by government with all gas produced being government property sold into the UK market only at cost price. Gas only to be phased out as a power source when we have full replacement capacity on line. Ditto no existing power stations of any type to close before they are replaced.

For the longer term build a network of small scale nuclear power stations on the same basis.

No planning hold ups, just get on with it.

Tell environmental protesters tough. Human lives and well being are more important than polar bears. 5 years imprisonment automatic sentence for anyone disrupting the programme.

Anyone living close to these developments who are unhappy buy their houses at a fair market price so they can relocate. Add vacated homes to the social housing stock.

Build sufficient spare capacity to power desalination plants to process sea water. How can an island nation ever be short of water? Build new reservoirs.

I've no idea if all that is left wing, right wing or what. I'll vote for any party that adopts it as policy.

[david63]

Freeze prices for consumers at the level before the latest price cap increase

That, I suspect, will be the most likely outcome especially as it is the one proposed by the energy companies but that has the proviso that it will stay at that level for x years until the price comes down and the losses recouped. Personally I don't see a major problem with that idea (OK yes there will be winners and loosers, but that is a fact of life) and one way or another we will have to pay for it anyway.

I really cannot get my head around energy companies pricing models which generate these massive profits.

If they are actually selling more volume of energy then fine, that is what they are in business for and I don't have a problem with that and I do not think that they should be penalised with a windfall tax in those circumstances.

But the rest of it baffles me. In my basic business understanding you buy something for, say, £10 you add 10% on for profit and then sell it for £11.

Now if the same logic applies to energy companies they buy for £10 and sell for £11, but if the going rate for selling it is £15 and that is what they are allowed to sell at then they do. The other option is that the price they buy at is now £15 so they add their 10% and sell at £16.50 rather than at £16 which would mean that they made the same profit.

The only other way I can view this is if the energy companies are buying energy on the futures market meaning that the energy they are selling now was bought perhaps years ago but they are selling it at a much higher price to offset the energy that they are buying now which will be sold in the future which theoretically will keep the price down in the future.

It will also be interesting to see if when/if the price of energy comes down whether the regulator reduces the price cap - and I think I know what the answer to that will be!

[towny44]

The problem Merv and David, is that the energy companies are not making any profits at present, only the gas producers, like Russia, are making profits.
However I do wonder if the current model for assessing the price cap by using the wholesale Gas price is still valid. I know that Gas is still a significant contributor to electricity production, but it has reduced quite a lot as green energy sources increase.

[Kendhni]

Freeze prices for consumers at the level before the latest price cap increase

That, I suspect, will be the most likely outcome especially as it is the one proposed by the energy companies

This idea was also put forward by Starmer/Labour several months ago.
The tories literally laughed at the idea.
FullFact has put a question mark on Labour's cost calculation.

It will also be interesting to see if when/if the price of energy comes down whether the regulator reduces the price cap - and I think I know what the answer to that will be!

The regulator has already said that it wants to see the price cap 'restored' ... but I have not seen the definition of 'restored'.

[david63]

The regulator has already said that it wants to see the price cap 'restored'

I had not realised that it had been abolished

[Kendhni]

The regulator has already said that it wants to see the price cap 'restored'

I had not realised that it had been abolished

Restored to a previous (undefined) level

[Bensham33]

You don't know that. Equally if there was more funding for youth activities then those that do end up as delinquents wouldn't because they had something to do.

Sorry but I totally disagree, the more people get to rely on subsidised activities, the less they are likely to become well rounded contributors to society.

That is such a Tory attitude. Activities and clubs for our children, whatever their back ground should be available to all, not just those that can afford it

[Mervyn and Trish]

I came from a working class background and went to a youth club that was not subsidised by government or council. Background wasn't a bar then. But I didn't expect to have an iPhone or foreign holidays.

I.also think it's dreadful stereotyping to assume the yobs running amok come from poor backgrounds. Many don't.

[Kendhni]

That is such a Tory attitude. Activities and clubs for our children, whatever their back ground should be available to all, not just those that can afford it

Tories have made a lot of cuts to youth services and I am sure that is playing its part for some of todays problems ... I agree that youth services should be available to all (it was usually the churches that ran youth clubs, BB, Scouts etc. in my day).

Not sure about 'afford it' though. Remember those yuppie hooligans that organised gang warfare at football matches in the 80's ... many of them would now be pensioners ... probably spend their lives complaining about todays youth.

[screwy]

If I’m not mistaken ,the Boy Scouts/ Girl Guides are still running. There are also the Cadet forces. I suppose that those are not ‘ Cool enough’ for some. But they are there if it means getting kids to do something.

Some of these youths though are not just bored and mischievous,they are downright thugs and should be treated as such.Too many excuses.

[david63]

Is today's young thug/hooligan problem any worse than it has been in the past or is it that it is reported more in the media? What I would say is that today's thuggery is probably more violent with an increased use of knives and guns than in previous years.

There have always been thugs around no matter how many other outlets there have been for youngsters to participate in.

[screwy]

Agreed,but were they 13/14/15 like today.? Not sure. Todays young thugs really are thugs, I’ve had the pleasure of locking them up and reading their records.

[Kendhni]

Some of these youths though are not just bored and mischievous,they are downright thugs and should be treated as such.Too many excuses.

I have been looking for a quote from Dickens about the youth of the day, but so far have been unable to find it so I don't think that is anything new, although my perception would be the same as David, that the thugish minority are becoming more violent ... and yes this thugish minority deserve to be on the receiving end of the full extent of the law ... and their parents should also be held accountable.

As usual there are solutions but I doubt government has the desire to implement them.

[Manoverboard]

I grew up during the ' Teddy Boy ' era when knives 'n' knuckledusters were the norm

Many yoofs carried flick knives. These were available openly in shops in say Margate rather than Leek but not too many got used in anger because these wanna be tough guys would be challenged by real men who had recently seen active service in places like Korea. Even at the football grounds you shut up when told to unless you wanted a cauliflower ear or a broken nose.

Not so these days.

[Stephen]

Which were you Moby

[Ray B]

If I’m not mistaken ,the Boy Scouts/ Girl Guides are still running. There are also the Cadet forces. I suppose that those are not ‘ Cool enough’ for some. But they are there if it means getting kids to do something.

Some of these youths though are not just bored and mischievous,they are downright thugs and should be treated as such.Too many excuses.

Scout and Guides are still going screwy. My daughter runs a guide troop , but it's getting to youngsters to join. They are not rushing to be part of these groups unfortunately.

[oldbluefox]

My nephew has a different problem. He has waiting lists for cubs and scouts and could expand but needs more leaders.

[Mervyn and Trish]

They'll end up as yobs then......

Or you nephew could head hunt Ray's daughter?

[david63]

I see that Me-again is playing the victim card in an attempt to keep herself in the public eye (business must not be going as well as expected!)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62717696

[Mervyn and Trish]

They scored an own goal again this week. Drove their electric car to the airport en route to a polo match. But Harry's kit arrived separately in a Range Rover. Then they flew off in a private jet. And they didn't keep banging on about the rest of us saving the planet.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Now here's a thing. Needed to renew my passport. Went to local photo shop who took the photo and uploaded it to Passport Office website last Monday afternoon. Applied on line Monday evening. Posted old passport to them Tuesday. Received by them Wednesday. Application approved Thursday. Printed Friday. New passport received this morning. Less than 8 full days including a Bank Holiday weekend. No complaints about that.

[towny44]

Now here's a thing. Needed to renew my passport. Went to local photo shop who took the photo and uploaded it to Passport Office website last Monday afternoon. Applied on line Monday evening. Posted old passport to them Tuesday. Received by them Wednesday. Application approved Thursday. Printed Friday. New passport received this morning. Less than 8 full days including a Bank Holiday weekend. No complaints about that.

They obviously still have you listed as a senior BBC executive, and don't want to give you an excuse to accuse them of having a backlog!!!!

[Stephen]

Now here's a thing. Needed to renew my passport. Went to local photo shop who took the photo and uploaded it to Passport Office website last Monday afternoon. Applied on line Monday evening. Posted old passport to them Tuesday. Received by them Wednesday. Application approved Thursday. Printed Friday. New passport received this morning. Less than 8 full days including a Bank Holiday weekend. No complaints about that.

They obviously still have you listed as a senior BBC executive, and don't want to give you an excuse to accuse them of having a backlog!!!!

Now you've done it John. No Christmas card for you this year