Rt Hon Sir John Redwood MP (Wokingham) (Con): I congratulate the Minister on a lively and informative speech. It was great to have a positive vision for the future from him. He rightly reminded us that many of the exciting new technologies and opportunities available to modern industry and business are being grasped by both the private sector and the Government working together. I congratulate him and his Department on that work. However, I urge him and the Department to greater efforts in the range of more traditional industries that are still very much industries of the future. We have a choice. If we make the right decisions on taxes, regulations, support frameworks and orders, we can produce more such things at home. If we make the wrong decisions, we will end up importing too many of them.
I start with energy. The Ministerâs Department has a crucial role in organising our energy and the transition that it wants as well as ensuring that we have enough of the traditional energy forms when they are crucial to heating our homes and turning our factories. In this period of transition, we can do more to extract more of our own oil and gas. That is greener than importing it, because, in burning gas that comes down a pipe from the North sea, far less carbon dioxide is generated than if the gas were extracted somewhere else, transformed into liquid form and transportedâat least half the CO2Â is saved that would otherwise be generated. More importantly, that is a safer supply. Even more importantly, if we are still to have high taxes on it, we will collect those taxes. At the moment, the more we import, the more dead money goes out of our country to pay somebody elseâs taxes, doubly burdening our industry with the extra cost of what are sometimes extreme market prices to secure the supplyâwhen there is not a long-term contractâand extra transport costs that must be put into the equation for effective delivery.
I urge the new ministerial team to take up from where the old team were moving to and understand that there are quite a lot of good proven reserves out there now. Production licences could be granted in a timely way, and we could have more of our own import substitution and more secure supplies for the future. It is possible to work with the industry on existing fields so that maintenance schedules can be kept to a minimum and output can be maximised, particularly over a difficult winter. We all know that if anything goes wrong with the UK and European gas supply over the winter, it will be our industry that gets caught first; industry is very reliant on plentiful gas supplies for much of its important processes.
We must be careful about carbon accounting. I think a lot of us feel that it does not make a lot of sense to say that the heavy gas-using industries and other fossil fuel-using industries in the United Kingdom, such as cement, glass, ceramics, steel and so on, will be penalised because they are generating carbon dioxide in their process, only to substitute imports of those same products that will certainly produce more CO2, not only because of the long-distance transport, but quite often from the processes as well, as this country has often gone a bit further in more efficient processes than some import substitutes. So that, too, is an area that we need to look at very carefully.
On the car industry, I would like to expand a little on the intervention. Again, a difficult transition is under way and it can only go at the pace that the customers are willing to let it go. At the moment, as we have been hearing, a relatively small minority of the cars built in this country are full electric carsâsomething to do with price and range, and people getting used to the idea of the electric vehicleâand so during the transitional period we again have a choice: either we produce the diesel and petrol cars that people still want to buy, or somebody else does that and we end up importing them. Again, I do not think that that is a good course. I would not want to be ahead of some of the other leading car producers in the world in definitely ruling out producing vehicles that still sell well, when we have put a lot of investment collectively into developing more fuel-efficient vehicles, which have much less coming out of the tailgate.
My final brief point builds on one that the Minister eloquently made in certain contexts. We can do a lot more, as the Government are trying to do, with sensible purchasing of our own products. Of course, we do not want to buy products that are less good quality or too expensive. There has to be competition within the UK market to reassure the Government they are getting value, but just as we have always done with things like warships, so we can do for more essential products. We should give the home base the best chance and, if necessary, help people come in as major investors with their factories in order to do so.
November 17, 2022
Good morning.
All this ‘transition’, none of it has come from the market and the consumer, it has, as recently admitted by Stanley Johnson, come from the UN. It is the UN, paid for and influenced by China, that is driving these policies.
As they say ; Cui bono.
And in this case, who owns most of the lithium reserves that power the batteries for EV’s ? Who builds all the wind turbines and solar panels ? Who benefits from countries such as ours where our own MP’s deny us the use of our won fossil fuels, make energy more expensive and so force industry once here to go ‘there’ ?
Answer the above and you know that President Trump was right to call them out.
And they are not just out to eat our lunch !
—
Short enough ?
November 17, 2022
Cui bono? King Charles it seems. 25% of the Crown Estate income, which is soon expected to be ~ ÂŁ900 million PA from wind farm leasing alone.
November 17, 2022
ÂŁ8 BILLION last year.
November 17, 2022
A very good strong socialist budget! No public sector cuts, just reducing the amount of increase!! No cut to civil service head count as JRM pledged. Huge council tax hikes on top of all the other taxes! Welfare pays, inflation increase for 5.6 million! Did Hunt miss any opportunity to increase tax!
ÂŁ12 billion Overseas aid remains, ÂŁ11.6 billion given away for climate repatriations still happening, ÂŁ11.8 billion fraud created Sunak not investigated any longer! ÂŁ11 billion each year to EU Carrieâs on, building ship contracts given to Spain during a recession!! ÂŁ150 billion HS2 for one railway journey continues. No cuts just tax rises. Let us see Tory MPs vote it through.
November 17, 2022
But a wonderful budget for growth. Probably in unemployment, can’t think of much else.
November 17, 2022
Reeves trounced Hunt highIighting how your govt has dropped its investigation for the ÂŁ12 billions Sunak lost to fraud!
The best Hunt could do was appoint another former Labour minister for help! Patricia Hewitt former Labour minister back in Tory govt!! JR she used to be on the board of trade why not have her as an advisor to industry as well.
Your party confirmed by this appointment today it has no purpose. It is a pro EU socialist party.
November 17, 2022
Is this the same Patricia Hewitt who gave doctors a new contract that they couldn’t believe because it was so generous and allowed them to work shorter hours abandon house visits and earn more. Just the person to get tough on crooks.
November 17, 2022
Appointing Hewitt just confirmed that Labour Con and LibDem are one and the same. The Uni-Party of Westminster. They don’t bother even trying to pretend otherwise now.
November 17, 2022
Mark B
Yes. Short, sweet and accurate.
November 17, 2022
Wallace transferred ship building of our war ships ie jobs and industry, to Spain yesterday. Could Sunak and Hunt make a more dramatic treasonous self harming act than give away building ships in Spain with a few assembly crumbs to N.Ireland! A very pro EU helping hand to a country like Spain that needs a helping hand, Germany would not help Spain!
The socialist Tories continue to disgust the nation.
November 17, 2022
Most of the worlds Lithium reserves are in Chile and Australia, are you saying they are owned by China?
I won’t disagree that political pressure comes from other places nor that our own politicians and government are weak and lazy, but so are our “consumers” who don’t care, know or care to know where anything comes from.
Energy cost hasn’t forced industry to go elsewhere where the ways and means to do it weren’t already established decades ago by our lazy government and consumers.
November 17, 2022
dixie, +1, Chile, Australia, Argentina, Bolivia.
China and Russia only are in 5th and 6th position in terms of known and extractable reserves (nsenergybusiness.com , 19/11/2020).
November 17, 2022
Concise Mark B and weâll put!
Our country is being targeted for destruction and our enemy within are keen to help. The enemy without (is that a term?) has also infiltrated within.
November 17, 2022
+many
Oh Bravo!!
November 17, 2022
@Mark B + 1, and who do we send overseas aid to. Why is the taxpayer âforcedâ to support industries in unfriendly Nations ahead of our own. Why is the UK taxpayer financing the Nuclear arms production in other Countries.
November 17, 2022
Spot On Mark B and obvious to all apart from the tory party
November 17, 2022
Mark,
Even shorter:
Tories determined to bring socialism around the world by leading from example in UK. How to slaughter growth, jobs and Industry by Sunak and Hunt.
Shapps is more concerned keeping EU badge of confirmation on goods ratting on pledge to bring UK confirmation by the autumn. EU remainer lock step continues under Tories.
Lady Hoey spot on about Tories breaking act of union and betraying N.Ireland by last three Tory PMs! No UK jobs or industry in N.Ireland unless sanctioned by EU!
November 17, 2022
You could have written ‘China is at the root of all transition, and we consume!’
November 17, 2022
Indeed. How depressing that Sir John has to point out that to export our industry to CO2 producing China etc and then import those products back is… madness. We are not ready for the so called transition based on what? CO2 is not a devil gas but plant food. An essential gas for all life on Earth. We need political change urgently.
November 17, 2022
Who owns the Uranium reserves? Will we sanction Russia on Uranium so we wave goodbye to nuclear power?
What if Russia starts sanctioning us?
November 17, 2022
wikipedia âList of countries by uranium reservesâ: Australia, Kazakhstan, Canada, Russia, Namibia, South Africa, âŠ
November 17, 2022
Agreed, but why are we transitioning to all electric cars at all? A difficult and pointless transition with current technology.
They cost far more, are heavier, need far more raw materials, are range limited, slow to charge, have short lived, expensive and very environmentally damaging batteries, wear tyres out more quickly, damage the roads more (as heavier) and produce far more CO2 than just keeping your old car running longer. The only valid justification seems to be to reduce pollution in cities but this can be done far better with hybrids that only need a battery of about 10% of the capacity wasting far less (90% less) energy, mining and rare elements to produce. Or just use what are now very clean small petrol cars.
This increased CO2 claim is true, even if they are charged entirely on low carbon electricity. But they clearly will not be as we do not have any spare low carbon electricity. Even renewable are not that low carbon in reality.
Clearly burning wood (young coal) at Drax is moronic too in cost and CO2 terms. Almost all businesses and jobs need cheap, reliable on demand energy so ditch net zero now. Green hydrogen is rather a daft, energy wasteful and expensive energy storage system too.
November 17, 2022
+1 LL
November 17, 2022
If one views what we are seeing as the wanton destruction of the west, the details you cite about electric cars is unimportant. If the end goal is achieved, few people will be able to afford a car. Most of what we are seeing is clumsy and illogical⊠but determined. That is why we must collectively fight it at each stage!
November 17, 2022
Sharon,
It is not illogical. It is deliberate. The surprise is that a Tory govt is bringing socialism to the country and world.
As Reeves says why are we paying so much tax for so little in return! A Labour govt spot on.
November 17, 2022
+++
I bet they legislate to make older cars non viable ( MOT restrictions?).
And were we really meant to have ANY car in future? Arenât they road taxing EVs now?
Itâll be like S Johnsonâs flyingâŠtoo expensive for the vast majority.
November 17, 2022
Why is a web site full of man made CO2 causing climate change denialists; so bothered about importing CO2 by LNG tankers; and, other UK indigenous commodities we are buying back from the foreigners we sold them off to to fund tax cuts?
November 17, 2022
No one sensible denies that the climate changes nor that mankind has some effect but there is really no climate emergency using home gas is clearly better for jobs, taxes and the economy. Anyway wind and solar in the UK saves almost zero CO2 anyway.
November 17, 2022
acorn :
Whilst it is true that increased CO2 emissions by importing LNG rather than producing our own gas will help to increase CO2 and thus increase world food production, our own production does provide UK jobs, taxes, and increased energy security.
BTW, the real climate deniers are the BBC who deny there was any climate change at all until the Industrial Revolution caused anthropogenic CO2 emissions.
November 17, 2022
You only agree to âtransitionâ if you are a fully paid up member of the UN and the Green Party and BELIEVE that in the next couple of decades weâre all going to be under water due to motorcars âŠ.why not ask the people
November 17, 2022
LL : âAgreed, but why are we transitioning to all electric cars at all? A difficult and pointless transition with current technology.â
LL, Iâm afraid youâre mistaken if you think the Government intends for all existing car owners to transition to evs. They know full well theyâre expensive, impractical, costly in CO2 emissions to build and there is insufficient of the necessary minerals available.
The Net Zero Strategy will mainly be using âbehavioural changesâ to achieve its aims. For instance we have already been informed not to expect to own a car when the transport minister, Trudy Harrison said last year :
âOwning a car is outdated â20th-century thinkingâ and we must move to âshared mobilityâ to cut carbon emissionsâ.
Only the ruling elites will have private transport. The rest of us it will be âactive travelâ and public transport. Just read the Net Zero Strategy.
November 17, 2022
In the worst case scenario, an electric car with a battery produced in China and driven in Poland still emits 37% less CO2 than petrol. And in the best case scenario, an electric car with a battery produced in Sweden and driven in Sweden can emit 83% less than petrol.
We also see that electric cars bought in 2030 will reduce CO2 emissions four-fold thanks to an EU grid relying more and more on renewables.
A petrol VW Golf, compared with a similar size BEV; built with all EU produced components and driven in the EU; breaks even on life cycle emissions at 16,000 miles.
November 17, 2022
acorn : “We also see that electric cars bought in 2030 will reduce CO2 emissions four-fold thanks to an EU grid relying more and more on renewables.”
Dream on.
November 17, 2022
Acorn that is drivel/propaganda they need to do about 80,000 miles on low carbon electricity just to break even on the CO2 produced manufacturing them. Plus the battery life is not much longer than that. Keeping you old car saves far more CO2 unless perhaps it is a 5 litre 4×4. Note I say âkeeping your old carâ not comparing a new petrol car with a new EV one. A bit like the Gov. propaganda that claims walking and cycling produce no direct or indirect CO2.
November 18, 2022
@LL Speaking of drivel/propaganda why do you keep peddling unsubstantiated rubbish? The AGW mob discredited themselves with concocted lies and less than careful “science” and here you are discrediting science by doing exactly the same thing day in, day out.
The Argonne National Lab in Chicago developed the GREET model used by the US EPA which includes thousands of parameters associated with EV use production and use and their finding is an EV needs to do more like 13,500 miles (Tesla Model 3) before doing less “harm” than even a new car while your old banger always has and always will do more “harm”.
BTW Since you don’t buy new cars you are proudly part of the problem and contribute less than nothing to any solution with regards to vehicle improvement and development.
November 17, 2022
The cost of buying in is not always the cheapest option when you take into account of the tax payments and jobs we have lost and the knock on effect on the bigger economy of suppliers and support chains.
November 17, 2022
There is no industrial strategy only the Business Extinction and Import Substitution department offshoring everything in the name of net zero.
I see Raab is the next target of the civil service to be got rid of. Why does everyone who tries to do a job get hounded out.
The other day I noted that the STOR generators were running.
Perhaps you could ask the question how much are these polluting diesel engines suppling daily. No doubt negating and CO2 savings made by windmills.
We’re been played for mugs.
November 17, 2022
+1
November 17, 2022
@turboterrier, I note in other Countries when the State is buying part of the price calculation is the loss of tax in their own Country. Taxpayer money being used to support other regimes ahead of our own industrial base is money wasted. In business you learn that the price you pay is not always the same as what it costs you.
November 17, 2022
Grant Shapps has five O levels and an HND in business and finance from Manchester Poly. Is he really the best that Sunak could find to be the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy? True rather few MPs have much understanding of science, energy, economics, logic or business – but surely far better could be found for this post.
November 17, 2022
The dimmer a Minister is, the better the supra-national Globalists like it.
November 17, 2022
@Lifelogic, Its not his academic qualifications that you should be concerned with. Academic ability and being âbrightâ and intelligent very rarely go hand in hand. All that matters is his ability to get the job done to arrive at the best result for the taxpayer and the UK â that is his continual fail. Other than that I go along with your argument.
November 17, 2022
I suppose that anyone sensible & rational who understood some science, climate and energy would obviously want to abandon the complete insanity of the net zero religion. So perhaps in order to avoid this they employ someone like Grant Shapps.
Hunt claimed just now that 40% of our electricity comes from ârenewable sourcesâ, but this includes burning wood (young coal) at Drax (which is worse than coal for CO2) and the old Hydro we have had for years. It also ignores the gas back up needed for them rending these gas generators less efficient and more expensive. It also ignores all the non electrical energy used so in reality wind and solar is only about 5%. Almost irrelevant in fact. We have religious idiots in charge of energy it seems, and even worse idiots waiting in the wings for 2024.
November 17, 2022
Vote Reform Ll. Because total reform is what this country needs. Or perhaps total restoration to an earlier period.
November 17, 2022
I donât know what qualifications Esther McVey MP has, but I like her determination not to vote with the government today unless HS2 is cancelled âŠI want people in parliament with common sense and free of fear of the media
November 17, 2022
+1 but socialist Hunt clearly prefers to tax us to death and then piss the money away by continuing with this white elephant HS2 & Net Zero. Reeves is right with her doom loop. Over tax, deter future investment, force expensive unreliable energy, fewer workers, push people and companies overseas, taxes take falls, rates rise even further, even less investment back to the beginning of the loop.
At least he did not attack the Non Dom regime which would also have reduced the tax take even further. Reeves is wrong on this and NonDoms do actually pay a lot of UK taxes actually Rachael.
A budget for the 20% in the state sector that punishes the 80% in the private sector. It will not work.
November 17, 2022
Let us see how many other true conservatives follow her stance after Reeves called out Sunak for not investigating the ÂŁ12 billion he lost to fraud!!! School boy errors Lord Agnew called it when he resigned. Sunak should have resigned as well.
November 17, 2022
Yes, he is the best from this House of Commons chosen by the political machines.
Until the people DEMAND the freedom to return our free choice, this will always be the same.
November 17, 2022
In the brexitory party, yes, he is.
November 18, 2022
Oh LL get off it.I know many with NVQ 1 who actually work more effectively and are definitely more intelligent than the MSc,s I know who can’t change a plug.
November 17, 2022
If the government had not wasted ÂŁ14m as reported in the Telegraph that could have been put to good use in helping in the training tomorrow’s engineers and designers.
November 17, 2022
Very sorry. Should read ÂŁ14bn.
November 17, 2022
There is nothing in your post I can disagree with John. My goodness, if you were PM or chancellor this country would be in a much better place than it is now.
November 17, 2022
Indeed but the bonkers Tory MPs even preferred John ERM Fiasco Major with his three O-level passes (History, English Language and English Literature). Why on earth did Thatcher make him Chancellor!
November 17, 2022
The future of our industrial base is in the hands of the companies themselves. When companies like JLR are top of the customer surveys for quality, efficiency, durability and longevity they will then be a far bigger force to be reckoned with.
There are still customers that want top of the range luxury vehicles both here and abroad.
November 17, 2022
The transition narrative is ‘bollox’ (Boris Johnson exact words to Mark Steyn) so why does John adhere this politically invented horseshit and why does he continue to parrot it? Party politics?
I’d argue the transition is from the free-market to Socialism and has nothing to do with the environment or carbon
It seems the Tory party have become Klaus’s plaything
November 17, 2022
Agree â Remove the word âtransitionâ and insert âmarchedâ from the free-market to socialism
November 17, 2022
I wish I had faith that this government would put our country first, but I don’t. They are working quite hard to make sure our economy goes belly up, one way or another. Even if we had an otherwise sensible government (which we don’t) the net zero religion will guarantee poverty for many. It was clear years ago that our British way of life, ie. society, culture and justice would be scrapped. What is left?
November 17, 2022
Shirley, who would ever have imagined that a Conservative government would seek to destroy our way of life by succumbing to a bunch of net zero cultists?
November 17, 2022
Not much sign of that but ÂŁ150 per night hotels and ÂŁ40 a week for illegal migrants is clearly far more important to them.
November 17, 2022
Politicians canât even bring themselves to say ââbritain firstââ
November 17, 2022
They would also choke over ‘England First!’
November 17, 2022
I have never voted Labour and can hardly believe I am saying this, but currently Labour has a better industrial policy than Sunak & Hunt. Of course Labour’s policy has all the moronic genuflection to net zero that the Conservative policy has, but it isn’t any worse on that score. And at least Labour understands that the government needs to SUPPORT British industry to help it be successful. Look at the latest treachery from this appalling government: they have awarded the contract to build Royal Navy support ships to a Spanish company! Drake and Nelson stood up to Spain, but Sunak the Traitor has rolled over and surrendered to them. He is an utterly despicable man and no patriot can vote Conservative while he remains their leader.
And it’s no use George Freeman pretending that the government is investing in the industries of the future. That is another filthy government LIE. Look at the production of batteries for electric cars. Having decided (wrongly, I believe, but that is a separate debate) to force all car makers to go electric by 2030, the government had a duty to ensure that ALL the batteries required would be built in Britain. But they are doing nothing of the kind and allowing Britain’s biggest potential gigafactory â that proposed by BritishVolt â to teeter on the brink of collapse and administration. Maybe, if the government had actually given them the ÂŁ100m they had promised this would not have happened, but it seems Tory promises are worth less than used toilet paper. Labour, on the other hand, have declared they would fund EIGHT gigafactories. At least this will allow us to compete with the EU which, unlike our cretinous and treacherous government, is investing BILLIONS of euros in gigafactories. Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Poland and Hungary (as well as non-EU Norway) will soon all have gigafactories up and running, while here in Britain the government refuses to do ANYTHING to help us compete. If this isn’t treason, what is?
Or look at that other high-tech industry, microchips. We have seen how a shortage of these has caused huge problems for industrial manufacturers. That’s why China, Japan, South Korea, the EU and even India are each ploughing BILLIONS of pounds into semiconductor R&D and manufacturing. Every government in the world recognises the importance of this â except for our own. Here is a genuine question: can Sunak and Hunt REALLY be so mentally retarded not to understand the necessity of MASSIVE government support for this industry, or are they just traitors who are happy to see Britain fail as a nation? I would really like the answer to that!
November 17, 2022
The speech seems to (reluctantly?) accept transitioning as inevitable.
We used to manufacture a lot more. Allowing key industries to be bought by foreigners was foolish. Lots of simple things are now manufactured abroad- Newcastle Brown ale and HP sauce for example.
Vast swathes of industry that Mrs. Thatcher allowed to go to the wall have never been replaced. Meanwhile China has been allowed and encouraged to make things on our behalf. China is in such a dominant position now that it can threaten to cut off supply if it wishes.
November 17, 2022
Penalising our own industries in order to put money into others pockets, while creating double the reasons for penalising our own in the first place (CO2) just reaffirms to me that those who should be working for us seem to have priorities elsewhere.
Goes hand in hand with not training our own people or investing in them in general. Climate change through CO2 is the cover story for the masses.
November 17, 2022
+1 Michelle – the interests of the UK have been abandoned by our so called politicians. I have another name for them!
November 17, 2022
It must be tedious, Sir John, having to dress up everything that you say as what Farage-followers – on whose votes your party has recently depended absolutely – would comically call “Common Sense”.
I sympathise.
November 17, 2022
NLH. Yes far more common sense than anything the left proposes.
November 17, 2022
Sir John, you need to take a step back and look at the lunacy of these EV policies. Replacing perfectly good petrol and diesel vehicles is not environmentally friendly. The mining of minerals to produce batteries is very damaging. Child labour is being used to extract minerals. Only well off people can afford EVs. Families will not be able to see each other if they cannot travel to the multitude of clean air zones that are being set up. Look at Oxford with its 15 minute zones to see where this is going.
We face a dystopian future where only the selected few will be allowed to travel. EVs were never intended for the masses. Wind and solar power are incapable of replacing gas and oil. There aren’t enough minerals on earth to replace them as an energy source.
Follow the money and look at China if you really want to see the folly of our politicians.
People need to wake up and vote out all the main political parties.
November 17, 2022
Christine. Hear hear.
November 17, 2022
+1 LL
November 17, 2022
Your last paragraph is the critical element we need to address to maintain, rebuild and grow our industries and economy.
Stop giving away our industries, skills, and jobs.
November 17, 2022
Motability uses nearly 700,000 vehicles. These cars could be offered only if UK manufactured: Honda, Nissan, Vauxhall, Toyota Corolla; ask these brands for competitively priced cars. The only foreign cars allowed should be those that beat their price.
November 17, 2022
Completely agree
November 17, 2022
Good idea.
Pre-Brexit VW were selling 800,000 vehicles in the UK, so there’s a juicy 1m+ vehicle market to entice local manufacturers and manufacturing – so long as it isn’t the UK shipbuilding approach of bolting together assemblies manufactured elsewhere.
November 17, 2022
When they compare prices they should take into account corporation tax and business rates and all the panoply of taxes they receive straight back from UK based companies that they donât get from high price imports.
November 18, 2022
I agree they should but neither government nor consumers take account of opportunity costs.
November 17, 2022
You make a very clear and well-reasoned case, Sir John, but the government has its fingers in its ears. It wants to follow the advice of so-called experts such as Baroness Brown (Julia King), who it appointed to be the chair of the “Committee on Climate Change”. This body claims to be independent. However, she is also a member of the WEF’s Global Agenda Council on Decarbonising Energy. So your party in government is happy for national policy to be “advised” by someone clearly pushing an agenda – as couldn’t be more obvious from the title of that WEF council she belongs to. In other words, we have a situation similar to SAGE “advising” on public health. l do wish your posts would take more account of the agency of key players in particular policy domains, not just craft impeccably argued thought pieces on policy, much as I genuinely appreciate them.
November 17, 2022
Philip P
Baroness Brown’s appointment.
It’s like handing over the keys and security lighting controls to the foxes for their chicken barns.
You really cannot make up the incompetence that exists inside Westminster.
November 17, 2022
PP & tt, do your own CVs read better than Julia Kingâs? What are your qualifications to judge that person?
November 17, 2022
That’s the tedious argument that no one can argue against the high priests.
The appeal to authority.
November 17, 2022
Oh, you have learned a lot these last two years.
November 18, 2022
But LL and his pack of nodding dogs all hold that qualifications are paramount and Julia King appears to have an impressive set of qualifications and influential connections which are public and verifiable … unlike LL’s self declared offering.
November 18, 2022
Have I learned a lot these last two years heffy?
Well thanks.
Makes a pleasant change from the cheap abuse you and your pal bill usually respond to me with.
November 18, 2022
dixie are you sure that is correct?
I’ve always thought Lifelogic challenges the orthodoxy of the qualified.
November 19, 2022
Peter2 LL claims to have at least two academic qualifications and is at pains on a daily basis certainly, and almost with every post, to point out the lack of “appropriate” qualifications of our betters.
November 18, 2022
Re her CV, Hefner, the function of the person chairing a committee is not to provide expert input to the committee’s work. It’s to be and act as a responsible person ensuring that that body is above reproach and operates even-handedly where competing proposals arise. This woman’s appointment favours one particular agenda, one that should already have been obvious to the government from her CV since at least 2012, when she was a member of a WEF committee. It’s her CV that disqualifies her.
November 18, 2022
So if I understand you properly a person with qualifications and experience is to be rejected because they might be of the wrong party. Can you prove that as a chairperson she has influenced and biased the output of the committee. Thanks for providing any such evidence.
And participation to the WEF is not evidence as it is mainly a talking shop more widely open and less secretive in its recommendations than the Centre for Policy Studies, the Policy Exchange, the Legatum Institute, the GWPF, the Tax Payer Alliance, the Institute for Economic Affairs, the Adam Smith Institute, âŠ
Obviously Davos in winter offers a more pleasant environment than Londonâs Tufton Street and attracts more journalists and readers of this blog âŠ
November 18, 2022
Well said PeterP
Totally agree.
November 18, 2022
Excellent post Peter P
I totally agree.
November 18, 2022
heffy
That is not what PhilipP said
Just your very odd interpretation.
November 21, 2022
P2, I do not expect you to be able to read between the lines. However thanks for your comment, it was a great addition to the debate.
November 17, 2022
Doesnât the chair-person ask if anybody has a âconflict of interestâ when an appointment is made
November 17, 2022
How is increasing benefits and pensions by the rate of inflation and not by the rate of wage rises a “difficult choice”?
Seems like the path of least resistance to me.
November 17, 2022
Much was made yesterday concerning the commissioning of 3 supply ships for the Royal Navy, which is welcome. Also that they would be built in Belfast, also welcome. Then that it was part of a Spanish consortium and as the day went on it seemed to me that only the assembly would occur there; that creation of modular parts would be made elsewhere. I dare say this will be the same on much of the engineering and fitting out components – what is correct?
November 17, 2022
Agree â the Royal Fleet Auxiliary should be considered the same as the Royal Navy, and all vessels fully built in the UK
November 17, 2022
They’ll be telling us next that the computer components will be sourced from China.
November 17, 2022
You desire to keep it short despite the inordinate length of what you say. An argument for a viewpoint that assuages an equally lenghthy reply. My reply is that it is mere aspiration until the Chancellor offers his solution. When it is as forecaste how many real Conservatives will support it or be honest and head for a general election.
November 17, 2022
Having to point these things out to ministers, who are supposed to be well informed and advised by “The Very Best People” does demonstrate why HMG is failing us…
Do we really expect them to come through with their vague ideas for a ‘better future’ that won’t entail a huge cost to all of us?
I certainly have no faith.
Dark days are looming for this miserable little planet, I’m afraid.
November 17, 2022
Good morning Sir John
Good common sense and logical reasoned approach to the situation the UK finds its self in.
Will Government listen or even hear what has been said. I am also reminded here of the need to maintain UK Shipbuilding, yesterdays announcement kicked everyone in the head. Assembly in the UK while transferring the actual build and the technology to Foreign Government owned(Nationalised) production. That is not securing UK Shipbuilding, but it is in keeping with this Governments continual removal of production from the UK to keep our CO2 down only to increase the Worlds output.
The only conclusion is this is not a UK Government.
November 17, 2022
Ian,
Spain!! EU country that needs help. Sunak and Hunt willing to transfer jobs and industry to EU!!
November 17, 2022
As our politicians have done, continually, since we joined the EEC! I also remember UK jobs going to Turkey, at the behest of the EU (Ford vans).
November 17, 2022
and Valencia
November 17, 2022
O/T State pension to be means tested ?
So, on top of a proposed 10% ‘pay’ * (aka benefits) rise which is un-taxed (vs 5% taxed for workers, if they’re lucky) … one can expect not to have to work at all through one’s life and then transition straight on to a pension towards the end of it. This while Sunak and Hunt eye private pensions and then propose stopping state pension for those who paid for it.
No wonder there are 5 million people of working age who are inactive in a time of jobs galore.
No wonder the country is looking like there has been a prison hospital break-out when people with all the wrong behaviours are being encouraged to have lots of children.
When did the Tories legalise cannabis behind our backs, btw ?
* Yes. They really do call it ‘pay’ and they do call themselves pensioners as soon as they can.
November 17, 2022
From today’s Telegraph
âWhitehall waste costs taxpayers ÂŁ14bn as cash squandered on luxury party villa and vegan ice cream â
âAn analysis of financial disclosures since the start of last year found enough Whitehall waste to cover the courts, prisons and probation budget for a year, or fund more than half of Jeremy Huntâs expected tax raid. â
âLast night, Jacob Rees-Mogg branded the waste as âshamefulâ. âYou cannot reasonably ask taxpayers for money that you then wasteâ
Alright some of the reasoning they use is a bit flaky, but is does highlight that this Government is a prolific spender first and doesnât understand the word âBudgetâ. You budget to do things within your means not to steal from those struggling to fund all the pervious blunders
November 17, 2022
Why donât you just tell then not to talk so much b. rubbish?
Taking all that nonsense seriously!!
Whereâs my solar powered washing machine and my wind powered tumble dryer (um..the clothes line?).
Exactly!!
November 17, 2022
We’ll be going back to my long departed granny and her flat iron heated on a gas hob.
November 17, 2022
We need domestic control of resources essential to our well being. Importing what we can produce to higher standards more efficiently at home generates dependence and expensive waste. Gas is fundamental to empowering our industry and much more. If we canât control that the consequences can suffocate us.
November 17, 2022
SirJ your fifth paragraph ref banning ICE vehicles comes to the nub of the matter âŠ.when you remove freedom of choice, you remove democracy
November 17, 2022
glen cullen
Absolutely cocking right.
Biggest f### up since Mons as my old grandfather use to say about stupidity.
November 17, 2022
Youâre wasting your breath John, none of your proposals will be adopted. It has become apparent very quickly that Sunak is a total lightweight who is out of his depth and furthermore with no political skills at all – who told him it was a good idea to pose for photos in Bali with Trudeau and Klaus Schwab a few days before Huntâs punishment budget ? Conservative MPs seem very very bad at choosing leaders on their own – first May and now Sunak.
I see Rachel Reeves has outlined a fairly sensible Labour growth package while the Government are too scared to even say the word.
November 17, 2022
BTW. The Debt Management Office will get a new Remit to go with the Chancellors recipe for an upside down fiscal cake. This will show the change from the Kwasi version to what the Treasury thinks the deficit will be and the Gilts that will be needlessly sold under the idiotic deficit full funding rule.
https://www.dmo.gov.uk/responsibilities/financing-remit/full-details/ Also, have a read of “Gilt issues considered harmful 28 Oct 2022” and see who is currently holding the Gilts.
November 17, 2022
There is no transition.
We are never going to be able to supply enough reliable energy with ‘ruinables’.
What are we going to do on a cold dark still winter’s night?
What if the wind doesn’t blow for a month?
Complete Insanity
What doesn’t seem to be taken in to account is the disaster that individuals work and society will face.
It is true that we are only 3 meals away from anarchy.
How is the Climate Change Committee going to sell ‘we are doing this to make sure temperatures by the year 2100 don’t rise by about 1 degree’ to an angry hungry population
November 17, 2022
Ed
The CCC are the fart in the colander.
Just other faceless peoples mouth pieces whose committee should be wound up. That will save us more than a few quid in more ways than one.
November 17, 2022
++1 Ed.
November 17, 2022
The transition from abundant, high energy density, affordable and reliable energy to meagre supplies of low energy density, expensive and intermittent energy has nothing to do with anthropological CO2 emissions because nuclear energy, the only abundant, affordable, low carbon technology is being ignored.
Furthermore, it is quite clear that electrical energy storage, such as using hydrogen or batteries is totally uneconomic and hence the country will be running with âdemand managementâ instead of âsupply managementâ as currently.
The national and local grids will not be able to cope with the extra power required for the electrification of heating and transport without very expensive and time consuming upgrades and because the electrical replacements are more expensive and less practical than the existing fossil fuel products regulatory force will be required for their uptake.
The Net Zero Strategy will require considerable behavioural changes, including a UN carbon credit system to curb individual CO2 emissions, and consequently a severe reduction in our standard of living and freedoms.
November 17, 2022
There is no climate emergency/breakdown caused by anthropological emissions of CO2.
The climate is a multivariable, non-linear, chaotic system with no stable starting point and the computing power to run an accurate model does not exist and all the IPCC models are consequently simply no better than a crystal ball.
There is no empirical or theoretical evidence that increasing the CO2 in the atmosphere from 3 molecules per ten thousand (300 ppm) to 4 molecules per ten thousand (400 ppm) produces a climate breakdown. There is not even empirical evidence that weather extremes are increasing.
Weâve only just exited from an ice age 11,000 years ago and during this time temperatures have been both higher and lower than today with no anthropological emissions of CO2, let alone an anthropological explanation for entering and exiting ice ages.
Atmospheric CO2 has been falling for the last 150 million years from many times its current level. During the last 800,000 years it has dropped 9 times, including during the most recent ice age, to 180ppm, just 30 ppm above the level below which plants cannot survive. This is because shelled marine animals have been using CO2 to build their shells at a faster rate than volcanoes were emitting CO2.
If the whole world was to embrace net zero CO2 emissions then unless volcanic activity increased we would be heading for extinction.
Today we need to increase atmospheric CO2 to simply increase food production, especially with a world population now at 8 billon.
November 17, 2022
+many
And soon to be dramatically reduced?
November 17, 2022
Original Richard
Very well said.
November 17, 2022
Great post Richard. I see this government as evil in what they are doing to the people.
November 17, 2022
The majority think the same OR. Net zero is a scam. No intelligent person can possibly believe net zero is possible unless people are prepared to go without any power for long periods at a time. We do not have the technology to replace fossil fuels yet, and may not have for quite a few years.
There is evil afoot and the UK non-wealthy population is the fall guy.
November 17, 2022
Did you know the government has increased its wind generation target to 50 GW by 2030? Looking at the TEC Register ( Transmission Entry Capacity), there are 60 GW worth of applications to connect “Energy Storage Systems” by 2032. There will be a need for more interconnectors to export surplus generation when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining. A nice little earner.
November 18, 2022
But your “abundant, high energy density, affordable and reliable energy” sources, even for nuclear, are under other people’s territories so access and costs are by no stretch guaranteed.
I agree behaviour changes are linked to the current direction, but they would be to any direction from here anyway. Even in Norway with predominantly hydro based power their consumer has to moderate their demand – there is not the limitless on-demand mentality that appears to be the case on this blog.
PS Notwithstanding the issue of heating, with the current cost of grid power, solar and batteries for domestic electricity and transport are quite economic and offer resilence to cuts in grid power and imported petrol/diesel.
November 17, 2022
This country – like many others face a considerable transition period . Basic skills have to cater for the new challenges and the necessary management direction must be super capable . Our education , tuition and apprenticeship systems need to be modified accordingly and faith restored in political leadership .
November 17, 2022
Bert Young
Faith restored in political leadership?
That’s one hell of a big ask.. virtually impossible I would hazard a guess.
November 17, 2022
Sir John,
If only Sunak thought the same as you do…
November 17, 2022
The Government and their nitwit advisers have blown the nationâs wealth on the Globalist Covid and Climate scams and are now passing the bill on to us. Itâs not surprising that we continually receive scam phone calls from foreign criminals who clearly think that the British people are as stupid as their government.
November 17, 2022
Until we get costs to do business down, we will have no industrial future.
The MSM talk about the cost of living crisis but, in my opinion, it is a cost of government crisis.
November 17, 2022
While we continue along the path of net-zero â we will have no industrial future
November 17, 2022
Cliff:
Your opinion is sound. ‘Cost of Government Crisis’ accurately reflects the cause.
November 17, 2022
If Hunt is relying on figures produced by The Treasury and OBR we are being sharfted.
November 17, 2022
The Treasury is more concerned with its diversity cred (target 6%) than with matters economic.
November 17, 2022
The Budget: the chancellor spent a lot of the âprofitsâ of small business on increasing the cost of their employees. This will lead to business closures and unemployment.
âIncreases in line with inflationâ of pensions, which are NOT a benefit but a right, are NOT increases, so all the chest pounding, caring and woke self-promotion is shallow and seen to be shallow.
Increasing the payments of people who refuse to work in competition with employees does not increase employment.
If Putin is powerful enough to cause a recession in the entire western world, why are we challenging this mighty man?
November 17, 2022
The OBR followed by the Chancellor both state the UK is in recession, it was doubtful yesterday but to ensure it is tomorrow together they have contrived certainty.
The OBR is ensuring they get their 400,000 job loses
The Government will increase borrowing to ÂŁ177bn from the previous ÂŁ99.1bn. Presumably to increase the State before asking were has all the money already donated gone.
Government will protect departmental budgets in cash terms
HS2 will not be cut
Looking for Energy security – Extra tax on UK oil and gas producers will be increased from 25pc to 35pc, and extended by three years to 2028. – That’s exciting
The Government is to go ahead with additional funding to the French State to keep supplying our energy needs. Allowing the UK taxpayer to subsidies the French energy cap of just 15% increase for its citizens.
Mainly sarcasm from me, but we need a budget, a real budget were expenditure matches earnings. What Government is saying we will keep on, keeping the State onside and we expect the rest of you to cut back to finance us.
November 17, 2022
The Markets love the Chancellors statement, FTSE 100 down, FTSE 250 down, the ÂŁ to $ down, the ÂŁ to EUR down. OBR disposable income to fall. OBR GDP to decline
Taxes are up on the highest in 70years and as a percentage of GDP it is now smashed all records. Tax on jobs is to go up by 31% (19- 25pc). Energy prices to rise
A lovely one OBR predicts 400,000 job loses, The Chancellor – businesses cannot fill vacancies
Still no question of a real Budget, expenditure balanced to income
November 17, 2022
I still canât believe that our Tory MPs get rid of Liz and her proposed high growth & low taxes budget
November 17, 2022
âŠand the Bank of England. When weâre they held to account for their repeated and expensive idiocy?
November 18, 2022
Huh?
Since September the pound has been trending up against the USD and EURand the FTSE has gone from 6800 to 7351 (yesterday) recently.
I don’t disagree about the taxes.
Are those 400,000 actual losses or people who have decided not to return to work ..?
November 18, 2022
@dixie The 400,000 is an OBR projection, bat as we know they have never been right on anything
November 17, 2022
even Wokingham is no longer a safe seat after what the Chancellor just said.
maybe you are planning to retire, if not start looking for a new job.
November 17, 2022
Sadly it might be neck and neck for Sir John at the next GE. Not only is the electorate balance changing with us oldies dying, young impressionables moving in to the back to back rabbit warrens, but the lying policies with which he struggles to identify with will be underlined in a manifesto. Bleak times ahead.
Sir John will not have to study his food bills, his Council tax, his forecourt fill-up, his central heating rip-off – but his large tax bill will certainly become eye-watering.
November 17, 2022
He should cross the floor and become the parliamentary leader of the reform party
November 17, 2022
….and bring us from the darkness into the light
November 18, 2022
The rate and quantity of LibDem bullshit through my letter box has certainly increased alarmingly.
But we will be a brand new constituency next GE and still nothing from the CUP nor Reform/Retire/Release whatever.
November 17, 2022
GB News reporting the small print in budget statement today â FUEL DUTY TO INCREASE 23%
November 17, 2022
GB News â ââChancellor Jeremy Hunt failed to mention massive planned 23 per cent hike in fuel duty in today’s Autumn Statement. FUEL duty could increase by a staggering 12p-a-litre sending the cost of petrol and diesel soaring within months.ââ
The policy of net-zero
November 17, 2022
What’s the point in struggling to pay for petrol to get to a job with minimum pay? May as well sit on your bum at home on benefits. At least you’re still going to get rises with inflation.
November 17, 2022
Here is today’s letter from Jeremy Hunt to the Governor of the Bank of England, with an unchanged remit for the Monetary Policy Committee:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1118261/MPC_Remit_Autumn_Statement_2022.pdf
It makes no sense to me for the government to say that most of the inflation is down to external factors but the committee should continue to aim for the 2% target and mechanistically put up UK interest rates to suppress it.
November 17, 2022
Dr Cooper , it would be interesting to read of your analysis of the OBR forecast
https://obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploads/CCS0822661240-002_CCS001_SECURE_OBR_EFO_November_2022_BOOKMARK.pdf
November 17, 2022
quite simply it is likely to be another guess written on the back of a fag packet.
November 17, 2022
There is a difference between âprice risesâ and âinflationâ. Way above the Hunt head.
November 17, 2022
This afternoon the house of commons is debating âInternational Menâs Dayâ âŠwhat a complete waste of parliamentary time, could someone please stop our government from promoting these useless âDAYSâ and in some cases âMONTHSâ invented by the UN
November 17, 2022
Very kind of Hunt to increase State pension, but of course the increase will attract 20% or even 40% Income tax as there will be no threshold raise until the Tories lose at the next GE. The lucky ones (?) who survive on well under ÂŁ12,700 will really get an increase. Added to that Petrol and diesel duty rates are set to rise in line with RPI inflation from April 2023…so the old uns had better sell the car and cycle. But of course the EV owners are spared taxation for 2 more years. Stealth taxation at its finest – the Party of low taxation my arse.
November 17, 2022
All of this debating in the House is useless and a complete waste of time because these government ministers are on a ‘high’ anyway – are not listening – and will just go off and do as they please- a la Kwasi and Liz style – and that is the nature of how things work here. HoC debating speeches like from JR yesterday are just that debating speeches – nothing more – they do not make one bit of blind difference to the man on the street.
Citizens – I can feel a change acoming and when it does it will happen so quickly probably over a weekend – just like the Berlin Wall coming down
November 17, 2022
I have the same feeling.
November 17, 2022
do you anticipate a 2022/3 version of the Gunpowder Plot?
November 17, 2022
I wouldnât attend a meeting if decisions werenât made, so why do politicians attend debates that are enacted upon âŠ.it really is a 6th form debating society
November 17, 2022
aren’t enacted upon
November 17, 2022
From one gas relay station in Cambridgeshire we are pumping 5.5 million cubic feet a day of gas to the Netherlands….what is that all about??, and that is just one of many relay stations doing the same.
November 17, 2022
Level playing field â if the EU asks; we give
November 17, 2022
We had a rubbish chancellor during lockdown and look who’s PM now. What a joke.
November 17, 2022
How is the tax on petrol and diesel going to help inflation? All goods and services will be more expensive.
November 17, 2022
Enough is enough. We’ll need radical action to combat these WEF Remainer Tories.
November 17, 2022
Theyâre no longer âblue-labourâ theyâre out nâ out âred-toryâ
November 17, 2022
Well the government hiring Patricia Hewitt to troubleshoot the NHS proves a few things doesn’t it. For one we are being ruled by a monoparty state, where it doesn’t matter who we vote for the same people call the shots, not even being hidden here, for two the government is completely devoid of ideas, for three the NHS is a national disgrace and nobody decent is prepared to get involved. What an absolute disgrace.
November 17, 2022
Who said this evening,”If you tax people up to the eyballs they’re going to demand higher wages and that will make inflation worse.”
November 17, 2022
One tiny flash of common sense:
“Some have suggested putting VAT on independent school fees as a way of increasing core funding for schools, which would raise around ÂŁ1.7 billion.
But according to certain estimates this would result in up to 90,000 children from the independent sector switching to state schools, giving with one hand and taking away with another.
So instead of being ideological I am going to be practical.
Because this government wants school standards continue to rise for every single child, weâre going to do more than protect the schools budget â weâre going to increase it.
I can announce today that next year and the year after, we will invest an extra ÂŁ2.3 billion per year in our schools.”
Sadly, this rational self restraint was more than cancelled out by the tax tidal wave elsewhere.
November 18, 2022
Britainâs Industrial Future.
There isn’t any!