3 minute read
Politics
We need a greater share of super profits
Do you remember the great storm of February 2022? Which one – Storm Dudley, Eunice or Franklin? One of the reasons ‘global warming’ got rebranded as ‘climate change’ is that it’s not all about temperature rises. Our weather is getting more inclement, with storms a more frequent occurrence. But wasn’t this winter mild? Like many gardeners I’ve been hoeing the beds and vegetable patch constantly through the winter as it’s been temperate enough for weeds to continually germinate. There has been one silver lining to offset the storms and incessant weeding. These unseasonal temperatures have insulated millions from the impact of higher natural gas prices. Government help has been negligible. There will be a £200 bill reduction, but not until October, and it’s merely a loan to be paid back over the next five years. Labour has proposed in parliament a windfall tax of 10 per cent extra on North Sea oil and gas producers, which would raise as much as £1.2 billion more to help struggling households. All our local Tory MPs abstained in the Westminster debate along with the minister Nadhim Zahawi, who earned £1,300,000 from oil companies since being an MP. He vocally opposed the proposed tax on ‘oil and gas companies that are already struggling in the North Sea.’ Generally, it’s a good thing that we have people from industry going in to parliament. For example, credit where credit is due to Chris Loder who successfully used his rail industry experience to pressure South West Trains in to reinstating local services. But in the case of Zahawi, it just looks like more Tory sleaze. North Sea oil companies are not struggling. Most of
Greg Williams, on behalf of Dorset Labour
the remaining UK gas fields made a healthy profit at the previous average price of 40p a therm of natural gas. With prices averaging 200p a therm for the last four months, the oil companies are now enjoying the textbook definition of a super profit. They are spending more of those profits on share buy backs than investment in renewables. I agree that we shouldn’t tax UK companies on their overseas profits, and nor should we remove the decommissioning reliefs that help ensure we don’t have any more Brent Spars. But it’s right and fair for HM Treasury to take a greater share of those super profits realised on UK production, and invest that in supporting UK consumers.
Brexit still rankles with many voters
Feeling powerless in the face of the unreasoning forces ranged against us, be it Brexit, Covid, Eunice, Franklin or Vladimir Putin the only possible response has been to get on the phone or out on the streets to ask people to plant a tree. The trees included some bonsai starter trees nurtured for the past couple of years. These latter do not absorb much carbon but they help people feel they are doing their bit even if they have no garden. Trees are a great conversation starter. In the last month we have provided over 70 trees to Lib Dem members and supporters, doing our bit to deliver the Queen’s Green Canopy to help celebrate her Jubilee Year. To the conversations across the Vale, then. I was surprised that Brexit was top of the list. It still rankles with many. The opportunities seem to be only for those businesses able to pivot away from Europe towards the US and the Far East. For most smaller businesses and for us as individuals, Brexit has delivered nothing but complexity, inflation and a step backwards in our national identity and prestige. We need a ‘Brexit reset’ to get back to a sensible, inclusive and equitable relationship with our neighbours. Next up, Pacts. As we plant and water, the conversation turns to the question of the day: how can we confront, if not defeat this rogue’s gallery of a government? I had it put to me several times that “Lib/Lab/Green together must be the way?” How would this work? Do you put together a common set of policies? How much do you highlight your differences? Besides, this could mean limiting the choice for voters just as in 2019 when it seemed that choice was between never having to talk about Brexit again and having wall-to-wall Momentum under ‘Jeremy’. Surely the campaign ahead must be centred in strongly promoting what you believe and getting the electorate to buy into your vision for the nation. Then you can work across the house or council chamber, sensibly and rationally, to deliver on the key priorities. All told, a good way to get value out of the petrol used driving lots of trees around North Dorset.
