The Politics Thread

[Montreal Wanderer]

I don't disagree that's its highly suspicious that 90-odd per cent of our homes are supplied by six companies who each independently put up their prices by the same amount at the same time every time. If there is foul play (and their argument that they are all affected to the same degree by the same external factors doesn't sound wholly unplausible either) then that's what we should be concentrating on. They have a duty to compete, not to give cheap energy to everyone for the national good.

Our gasoline (petrol) companies do the same thing - no collusion just all working to the law of price and demand or summat (Right ). Every so often there is a price war in a region with a surplus of stations but unfortunately these are rare.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I don't disagree that's its highly suspicious that 90-odd per cent of our homes are supplied by six companies who each independently put up their prices by the same amount at the same time every time. If there is foul play (and their argument that they are all affected to the same degree by the same external factors doesn't sound wholly unplausible either) then that's what we should be concentrating on. They have a duty to compete, not to give cheap energy to everyone for the national good.

Our gasoline (petrol) companies do the same thing - no collusion just all working to the law of price and demand or summat (Right ). Every so often there is a price war in a region with a surplus of stations but unfortunately these are rare.

Something similar occurred in Glasgow over ice cream, but instead of having a price war they just had a war and burnt some ice cream vans until the law of supply and demand had equalised.

[Montreal Wanderer]

I don't disagree that's its highly suspicious that 90-odd per cent of our homes are supplied by six companies who each independently put up their prices by the same amount at the same time every time. If there is foul play (and their argument that they are all affected to the same degree by the same external factors doesn't sound wholly unplausible either) then that's what we should be concentrating on. They have a duty to compete, not to give cheap energy to everyone for the national good.

Our gasoline (petrol) companies do the same thing - no collusion just all working to the law of price and demand or summat (Right ). Every so often there is a price war in a region with a surplus of stations but unfortunately these are rare.

Something similar occurred in Glasgow over ice cream, but instead of having a price war they just had a war and burnt some ice cream vans until the law of supply and demand had equalised.

Those Glaswegians were alway a little more direct than we diffident Canadian motorists....

[Hoboh]

Just wondering what little Englanders such as Hoboh make of the £800m Chinese led investment into Manchester Airport and the subsequent creation of 16,000 jobs as well as the bolstering to Bolton Council's coffers?

I'll believe that when I see it more likely 12,000 jobs for Eastern Europeans till the dam things built and finished, then 2500 left for them 500 for us

Well the taxpayers of Bolton won't see much benefit of that once the fat controller and his cronies get their hands on it, thats a fact.

It would appear we have no businesspersons nor businesses of our own worth a candle now, it seems they have all been brow beaten into submission by liberal do gooders and Socialist numb skulls.
Still at least it underlines the fact we dont need the EU dictatorship to attract investment although I suspect that is being wrapped in fancy paper by the Europhiles as I type this.
World trade, World business is what we want not EU politics.

[Lord Kangana]

I wasn't really expecting a cash-in-my-hand windfall. I do know someone who spent a lot of time at BMBC, and say that retaining a shareholding in the airport is one of the best decisions they ever made.

[thebish]

from attilla the stockbroker's fb page...

[Bruce Rioja]

That's a bit tenuous isn't it? Mr Peter Davies?

[Harry Genshaw]

Fair play to John Major weighing in on the energy debate today.

Last week it was for the markets to decide and anything else was Marxism. Today the Govt are exploring the idea of a windfall tax against the big companies.

[Hoboh]

The Scottish government is looking to find a buyer for the Grangemouth refinery and petrochemicals plant.
The current owner, Ineos, has said the plant will close without new investment and changes to workers' terms and conditions.
Finding a buyer for the plant will be a challenge as there is an excess of refining capacity in Europe, meaning profit margins are low.
So what would be the impact of the the closure of Grangemouth?
Scottish fuel supplies
Grangemouth refines 80% of the fuel used in Scotland and it also supplies Northern Ireland and the North of England.
Contingency plans are being made to replace petrol and diesel supplies if the refinery closes and experts say that fuel could be sourced from elsewhere.
"With petrol and diesel supplies, unless there is panic buying, there should not be a problem as there are plenty of imports," says Alexander Kemp, Professor of Petroleum Economics, at the University of Aberdeen.
UK refining capacity
The number of refineries in the UK has been falling for decades and at the moment there are seven.
Coryton in Essex was the most recent to close after its owner Petroplus, filed for bankruptcy in 2012.
But analysts say there is still overcapacity in Western Europe and the situation has been made worse recently by cheap fuel imports from the United States.
US refineries pay around $15 a barrel less than UK refineries for crude oil, which has helped US firms to export cheap fuel to the UK.
But Professor Kemp says there is a longer term issue of energy security for the UK as "we can't always rely on cheap imports of fuel".
At the moment the UK imports 47% of the diesel and 50% of the aviation fuel it needs.
But for petrol there is currently a 20% oversupply, according to figures from the research group, IHS Purvin & Getz.
Its research shows that if two refineries were to close down, the UK would rely on imports for more than 70% of its diesel and jet fuel and more than 20% of its petrol.
Scottish Economy
The Grangemouth refinery has an annual turnover of billions of pounds a year and has 1,370 staff.
It also employs another 2,000 contractors and the refinery's owner, Ineos, estimates that 10,000 jobs indirectly rely on the facility.
Due to the refinery and the associated chemicals business, the Falkirk area employs more people in manufacturing than the rest of Scotland combined.
"It's actually a fundamental part of the infrastructure of the chemical, petrochemical and plastics industries of the UK and it would be madness to have it shut down," said the local Labour MP, Michael Connarty.
But Ineos says the refinery is losing £10m a month and needs an investment of £300m.
Forties pipeline system
The Forties pipeline delivers a third of the UK's oil output.
The steam and power which runs the pipeline and BP's Kinneil terminal comes from Grangemouth.
At the moment the supply of steam and power has not been interrupted and Ineos and union workers have been keen to maintain supplies.
But if Grangemouth is forced to close then it is not clear what happens next.
A strike at Grangemouth in 2008 shut the Kinneil terminal and that forced 70 North Sea oil platforms to shut down or reduce production.
Refinery operations
PetroChina owns half the refinery which is operated by Ineos
It can process 210,000 barrels of crude daily.
Ineos also owns the petrochemical plant which is attached to the refinery.
Analysts say the petrochemicals plant would struggle to run profitably without the refinery.

Taking out the fact, the Unions are really being a bit stupid in their stance I think the above just underlines why private or overseas companies should not own certain industries that are vital to the UK’s independent interests.
Short-term profit before the national interest is a failure of any Government no matter what their political colour; in short, those elected to defend it are selling the UK down the river.
Just how does allowing overseas imports that can be turned off at the first sign Europe or other foreign governments have a disagreement with us, be in our long-term interests?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Taking out the fact, the Unions are really being a bit stupid in their stance I think the above just underlines why private or overseas companies should not own certain industries that are vital to the UK’s independent interests.
Short-term profit before the national interest is a failure of any Government no matter what their political colour; in short, those elected to defend it are selling the UK down the river.
Just how does allowing overseas imports that can be turned off at the first sign Europe or other foreign governments have a disagreement with us, be in our long-term interests?

Don't worry about it. Grangemouth won't be British for much longer, it'll be Scottish. Not our problem, in fact we'll be able to export petrol to Scotland.

[Hoboh]

Taking out the fact, the Unions are really being a bit stupid in their stance I think the above just underlines why private or overseas companies should not own certain industries that are vital to the UK’s independent interests.
Short-term profit before the national interest is a failure of any Government no matter what their political colour; in short, those elected to defend it are selling the UK down the river.
Just how does allowing overseas imports that can be turned off at the first sign Europe or other foreign governments have a disagreement with us, be in our long-term interests?

Don't worry about it. Grangemouth won't be British for much longer, it'll be Scottish. Not our problem, in fact we'll be able to export petrol to Scotland.

I know I know but they are still a part of the Uk and highlight the problems we are building down here

[Bruce Rioja]

20 years ago today - The Shankhill Road bombing. The nice people.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

WTF.
The police in Ireland (home to the Travellers, amongst the most thin-skinned community ever to exist) being the first to falsely target Roma children based solely on appearance. You wouldn't believe it if it was in a fxcking novel.

[thebish]

^ pretty thin-skinned yourself considering how often you are very angry!!

[Lost Leopard Spot]

^ pretty thin-skinned yourself considering how often you are very angry!!

I'm one eighth Gypsy. Plus I'm ginger. It's genetic. I'm allowed.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I'm also as equally ecstatic and at one with the universe as I am angry.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I'm Libran. And I don't even believe in that shit!

[Hoboh]

Bet you talk a lot too

[Lord Kangana]

To himself.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Oi. I heard that.