Ed Millibland - Discuss

[Arginald Valleywater]

I am a tad baffled as to how Ed can actually control the price of gas and electric? If so can he also control the price of petrol and give the permanently battered motorist some respite aswell? EDF is French so they will no doubt ignore him...Shell is Dutch, Total is French etc etc...

[David Johnson]

"I am a tad baffled as to how Ed can actually control the price of gas and electric?"

The fact that you ask this question shows how submissive and repressed parts of the British population and in particular people like you have become.

Many countries have price controls on gas and electricity. In Northern Ireland, there have been price controls. Britain has had price controls prior to the disaster of Thatcherite privatisation. The EU has already confirmed that there is no problem with Miliband's plans because there are a number of EU countries who have controls.

All Miliband is suggesting is a price freeze for 20 months while a future government restructures a gas industry competition model arising from privatisation which is not working as it should. Bills have doubled since 2000 at a time when most people's wages have stagnated or gone down in real terms.

Re. petrol prices, governments can set the price for anything. They could set the price for petrol at the pump. The question then is whether the petrol suppliers are willing to supply on the terms and conditions offered. In the case of the gas companies they have had huge increases in their profits and could easily cope with a 20 month price freeze.

In the opposition to Miliband we get the usual disaster scenarios from industry. We had all this from the Tories predicting economic disaster when Labour introduced the minimum wage.

Get off your knees, Argie!!!

[cockneygeezer2009]

Keeping gas and electric price increases to the inflation rate year on year would be a result.

As for the petrol price the government do control most of the price as most of the petrol price at the pumps is tax!

[Arginald Valleywater]

Bring back Red Robbo and Scargill. I am sure they could do with some income to subsidise their KGB pensions...

[David Johnson]

I would have thought Red Robbo and Scargill would be your heroes Argie.

After all, you are a working class bloke in a public sector job on a final salary pension.

The only reason you aren't wandering round Cumbria with your arse hanging out of your troosers is because your predecessors were unionised and the unions fought for decent working conditions.

[bernard72]

In the case of the gas companies they have had huge increases in their profits and could easily cope with a 20 month price freeze.

Please provide evidence of this. And I mean against costs,service, revenue.
What is the % increase of profits against wholesale prices.

[bernard72]

David,do you have a private pension or is it a gold plated public sector pension.

[David Johnson]

Neither

[David Johnson]

"The "big six" - British Gas, EDF, E.On, npower, Scottish Power, SSE - made total net profits of:

2009: ?2.15bn

2010: ?2.22bn

2011: ?3.87bn

2012: ?3.74bn

obviously taking into account costs, revenue etc. Typically gas companies buy gas years ahead to secure supply.

The argument given by the gas companies is that it needs this level of profit for investment in infrastructure. Funnily enough Centrica, the parent company of British Gas has the reputation of being one of the best companies for getting a good dividend from a secure, well-established company.

[Alex L]

Perhaps the acting lessons will help, probably not though.