Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

[lardy]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

No they could not afford it as the country was in real poverty , folk would live and sleep in one or two rooms ,
and like it or not its a lot better now where you can get radiators in rooms and double glazing , inside toilets, cars etc etc .

Like it or not we have moved on as a society

and it wasn't Boris's fault

She's 80. You're saying at no point in her life she has been able to heat her whole house, or at least can't remember it. But then go on to say times have changed, we've moved on; which presumably means she should be able to?

So I'm confused by this.

I'll be less subtle with my point. When she was young, she couldn't heat her whole house. At some point in her adult life (I would imagine) she was able to. Now she's not able to.

For her, things are going backwards.

It doesn't have to be Boris's fault, but it is his job to fix it.

[Eric Cartman]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

No they could not afford it as the country was in real poverty , folk would live and sleep in one or two rooms ,
and like it or not its a lot better now where you can get radiators in rooms and double glazing , inside toilets, cars etc etc .

Like it or not we have moved on as a society

and it wasn't Boris's fault

You do this in almost every thread, there has to be a point. Can you let the rest of us in on the secret?

Is the point, poverty only matters as an absolute and not in relative terms? Because if so, you are just advocating for larger and larger wealth inequality and we all know where that ends up.

[Eric Cartman]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

I've not chosen to die on this hill. What I'm doing is pointing out that the energy price cap is 50% and this ladies bills have supposedly risen 500% and therefore there may be something more to this story.

I also point out that slapping a windfall tax on energy producers may be a bad decision in the long run. It's not just me saying that - I am merely listening to experts in the field as opposed to those trying to win local elections on Thursday.

I have also said I am open to the idea of a windfall tax anyway - I just recognise it's no silver bullet.

What I don't buy is that somehow the fact that this womans bills have risen 500% is all down to the government. Thats an argument I would expect Labour activists to make in the run up to an election (or Tory activists if the roles were reversed) but I don't think it's conducive to a particularly interesting or enlightening debate.

The reality is if you want to solve these problems in the long run they need to be properly understood which is what we should all be trying to do, no? Just saying "slap a windfall tax on them" may not work.

The reality is war is f-ing shit. 99% of the shitness is borne by people in warzones, but it does screw over certain industries, and energy production is one of them.

We need a solution, but a windfall tax may not be the solution.

I'm afraid the long term solution was to invest more heavily in and prioritise green energy many years ago.

You might want a long term solution but whether you chose to believe it or not, there are people who need a short term solution.

Also, I don't think anybody needs to be an 'energy industry expert' to know categorically that the big firms do not act in the interests of us. So when they announce 'record investment' and a 'commitment to Britain', forgive me for being suspicious about whether we are getting a good deal or not.

[Tito Fuente]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

I'm confused. You are angry at this ladies 500% increase, but then don't seem to recognise that the 50% price cap mitigates rises at all, recognising that the 50% price cap has also led to numerous companies going bust?

Do you want the price cap or not? Or do you want it to be far less, in which case we wouldnt be talking about tax rises on oil companies at all, cos the good old british taxpayer would just cover it, or better still, we could borrow the difference and pass the problem onto our kids.

The fact is, unless she was on an exceptional deal at £17 a month (Which she likely was) no ones bills should have gone up 500%. If they have, then something is up and she should seek support or help. There's thousands of examples of this every day, I'm not sure what good it is landing it at the PM's door.

It just sounds to me that you aren't that interested in a genuine recognition of the issues to trying to get to the bottom of it, you just want a sensational story to bash the PM with.

Surely otherwise you would recognise a 500% increase when the cap is 50% sounds very suspicious, no?

Again, I don't necessarily disagree with you on a windfall tax, but you are no energy expert and neither am I, but i recognise that decisions need to be made in the long term as well as short term.

I'm angry that the costs were allowed to double. How hasn't that been clear?

Do I want a price cap or not? Yes please, but can it be one that allows the general public to afford to use their heating and run a bath without going into debt.

You seem adverse to the idea that the gargantuan corporations whose profits have soared (from BBC article today "BP's profits for the first three months of this year have more than doubled after oil and gas prices soared. The energy giant reported an underlying profit of $6.2bn (£4.9bn) compared to $2.6bn in the same period last year - ahead of expectations.")
pay a bit more so that Elsie and co. don't have to ride the bus to stay warm during the day or a mum with 3 kids doesn't have to skip meals so that one of her kids doesn't miss out.

We're living in the shit now, James. Why can companies make billions in profits while people starve? Tax them and ensure that the money goes to affordable energy. If they threaten to pull money out of green energy, tax them even more.

[JamesWales]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

I'm afraid the long term solution was to invest more heavily in and prioritise green energy many years ago.

You might want a long term solution but whether you chose to believe it or not, there are people who need a short term solution.

Also, I don't think anybody needs to be an 'energy industry expert' to know categorically that the big firms do not act in the interests of us. So when they announce 'record investment' and a 'commitment to Britain', forgive me for being suspicious about whether we are getting a good deal or not.

1 - We have invested in green energy. More than almost anywhere else - check it out. Our energy use is transformed.
2 - I compltetely understand people not short term help
3 - I agree - their priority is always to profit and shareholders, employees, customers etc. They are private businesses. It doesnt make them immoral or not part of the solution though

[JamesWales]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

I'm angry that the costs were allowed to double. How hasn't that been clear?

Do I want a price cap or not? Yes please, but can it be one that allows the general public to afford to use their heating and run a bath without going into debt.

You seem adverse to the idea that the gargantuan corporations whose profits have soared (from BBC article today "BP's profits for the first three months of this year have more than doubled after oil and gas prices soared. The energy giant reported an underlying profit of $6.2bn (£4.9bn) compared to $2.6bn in the same period last year - ahead of expectations.")
pay a bit more so that Elsie and co. don't have to ride the bus to stay warm during the day or a mum with 3 kids doesn't have to skip meals so that one of her kids doesn't miss out.

We're living in the shit now, James. Why can companies make billions in profits while people starve? Tax them and ensure that the money goes to affordable energy. If they threaten to pull money out of green energy, tax them even more.

It's so simple isn't it! I don't need lecturing on the morality of it all - I agree with you on that. It's how to properly fix it in the real world.

Like I said, I am open to the idea. Discussing it is no bad thing and at least we have moved on from the tone earlier which was descending into the usual "BLoNdE mAn BaD" stuff.

What you will never do is eradicate every single story like the one in question here. There may be specific circumstances here that we aren't aware of and no government can protect every single person from any price rises.

[Tito Fuente]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

It's so simple isn't it! I don't need lecturing on the morality of it all - I agree with you on that. It's how to properly fix it in the real world.

Like I said, I am open to the idea. Discussing it is no bad thing and at least we have moved on from the tone earlier which was descending into the usual "BLoNdE mAn BaD" stuff.

What you will never do is eradicate every single story like the one in question here. There may be specific circumstances here that we aren't aware of and no government can protect every single person from any price rises.

This situation is a lot simpler than BlOnDe MaN makes out though.

For far too long these corporations treat us like we're in an abusive relationship, basically telling us "you think things are bad now but you're lucky I don't leave you. Nobody else will love you".

If they paid their "fair share" and the money went to subsidising the costs of living then I would hazard a guess that we'd be living in a more affordable society (that includes affordable housing).

I don't know what the alternative is. I guess it's what's happening now so I'd rather take the risk of pissing off some CEOs who will ultimately know that their shareholders will still get huge dividends regardless (maybe one less yacht in each financial year though).

[Eric Cartman]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

1 - We have invested in green energy. More than almost anywhere else - check it out. Our energy use is transformed.

How is that measure relevant, we were less shit than everyone else? We are at quite a significant natural advantage when it comes to renewables because of our geography. You asked for a long term solution, that was it and many people have called for it for years.

2 - I compltetely understand people not short term help

That didn't really come across.

3 - I agree - their priority is always to profit and shareholders, employees, customers etc. They are private businesses. It doesnt make them immoral or not part of the solution though

You said immoral, not me. It's why taxing them and spending the revenue on things we need is a better idea than just trusting they will invest in the right things.

[Eric Cartman]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

What you will never do is eradicate every single story like the one in question here. There may be specific circumstances here that we aren't aware of and no government can protect every single person from any price rises.

Oh look another straw man

[Hilts]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

Did they ask him why theres an NI increase when he stood by a bus saying Brexit lets fund the NHS.?

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

I think it's actually worth noting, because if there weren't free buses then she wouldnt be riding them.

Nonetheless, I agree, it shouldnt be happening. The question is why, and how do we solve it.

I'll repeat what I asked lardy:

The energy price cap went up 50%. Her bills went up 500%. Ten times the rate. Now if she came to you for help, would you throw your hands in the air and blame the Prime Minister, or would you try and find out the reason for a rise that is ten times above what it should be?

I’ve not blamed Johnson for the rise in energy costs, all I’ve done in this thread is express my incredulity that his first instinct is to claim credit for a free bus scheme when asked a question like that. Typically, Johnson’s first instinct was to think of himself and produce a crass reply that had nothing to do with the point at issue. Furthermore, when put in an awkward position, it’s all about self preservation, not party considerations - he introduced the scheme, not the Conservative party, the man is not fit to run a bath, let alone this country.

[JamesWales]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

I’ve not blamed Johnson for the rise in energy costs, all I’ve done in this thread is express my incredulity that his first instinct is to claim credit for a free bus scheme when asked a question like that. Typically, Johnson’s first instinct was to think of himself and produce a crass reply that had nothing to do with the point at issue. Furthermore, when put in an awkward position, it’s all about self preservation, not party considerations - he introduced the scheme, not the Conservative party, the man is not fit to run a bath, let alone this country.

It's a fair criticism. The bloke is unquestionably egotistical.

[JamesWales]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

How is that measure relevant, we were less shit than everyone else? We are at quite a significant natural advantage when it comes to renewables because of our geography. You asked for a long term solution, that was it and many people have called for it for years.



That didn't really come across.



You said immoral, not me. It's why taxing them and spending the revenue on things we need is a better idea than just trusting they will invest in the right things.

You are somewhat unfair there. The UK has halved it's use of fossil fuels since 2012 and the use of renewables have grown five fold. It's a quite spectacular change. And it all costs a lot of money to implement. It seems you want cheap energy and for it to be developed at no cost? Utopian.

https://grid.iamkate.com/?msclkid=a783936bcb1711ec9c648dc9d13484d4

[JamesWales]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

Did they ask him why theres an NI increase when he stood by a bus saying Brexit lets fund the NHS.?

Healthcare spending in 2022: £213bn
Healthcare spending in 2019 (last year of being in the EU): £152bn
Difference: increase of £61bn (increase of £20.3bn a year on average)
£20.3bn a year / 52 weeks = £390m a week.

Of course, they haven't just taken the cheque we gave the EU, crossed out EU and written NHS on it. It's far more complex than that, but the UK is now spending far more per week on the NHS than even the bus proclaimed we would before we left the EU.

This is a simple fact. You may not like the NHS receiving this money, you may feel that the leave campaign used the NHS, you may feel it should have had increases sooner, but it is a fact nonetheless. And it's good too.

https://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/rev/google_vis.php?title=Recent%20UK%20Healthcare%20Spending&year=2000_2022&sname=United_Kingdom&units=b&bar=1&stack=1&size=800_600&col=g&spending0=49.57_54.34_59.93_66.20_74.92_82.93_89.58_94.69_102.34_108.75_116.92_119.83_121.25_124.30_129.39_134.05_138.50_142.59_147.34_152.92_164.14_219.43_213.44&legend=Health%20Care-total&source=a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_a_e_g&inline=

[Doucas]

Re: Good Morning Britain - Boris Johnson Interview

This situation is a lot simpler than BlOnDe MaN makes out though.

For far too long these corporations treat us like we're in an abusive relationship, basically telling us "you think things are bad now but you're lucky I don't leave you. Nobody else will love you".

If they paid their "fair share" and the money went to subsidising the costs of living then I would hazard a guess that we'd be living in a more affordable society (that includes affordable housing).

I don't know what the alternative is. I guess it's what's happening now so I'd rather take the risk of pissing off some CEOs who will ultimately know that their shareholders will still get huge dividends regardless (maybe one less yacht in each financial year though).

I just read for every £100 Norway gets in tax revenue in the North Sea we get £8. Is it any wonder basically everything in Norway is better than here?