Public opinion remains divided over the wisdom of bombing Syria. Much less so than the House of Commons, which this week allowed the red mist of ‘hitting evil hard’ to out-vote reasonable doubts over what military action can achieve without a lasting political solution in sight. Who benefits, besides the suppliers of Brimstone missiles atContinueContinue reading “Infra Digging”
Tag Archives: Utilities
Scared As A Bully
On 9th November 2014, Catalonia voted 4 to 1 for independence from Spain. Madrid isn’t ready to begin talks on separation. Instead, it’s determined to prosecuteCatalonia’s leading nationalists for organising the vote. Will David Cameron protest? Will there be airstrikes? On 20th November 2014, the French Parliament voted to abolish many of the historic regionsContinueContinue reading “Scared As A Bully”
Getting Our Own Back
Wessex Electricity, Wessex Trains, Wessex Water. All run by managements located solely in Wessex. All democratically accountable to a Wessex Witan. Interfering London lawmakers and exploitative global finance just a fading memory of less pleasant times. We can dream. And why not? A poll last autumn showed that two-thirds of the public – including someContinueContinue reading “Getting Our Own Back”
Leccy Goes Local
Until 1948, the electricity supply in Bristol, as in many towns, was run as a council department, with its own power stations at Temple Back, Avonbank and Portishead. In that year it was effectively confiscated by the London regime, without payment of full compensation, only to be sold on in 1990 as part of SouthContinueContinue reading “Leccy Goes Local”
Receiving The Water Bill
DEFRA – to some cynics the Department for Eliminating Farming and Rural Activity – is piloting a Bill through the Westminster Parliament to change how the water and sewerage industry is regulated. It tells us that “privatisation of the water industry has been successful in attracting over £116 billion of investment… Without this investment, waterContinueContinue reading “Receiving The Water Bill”
Switched On?
Predictions of the death of the Internet seem premature, though not wholly implausible. There is no doubt that it constitutes a heavy drain on energy supplies but it also undoubtedly saves energy in facilitating transactions online that reduce the need to travel. A full energy ‘balance sheet’ of the existing and potential costs and benefitsContinueContinue reading “Switched On?”
Down The Drain
Thames Water’s bills are set to rise. That’s bad news in Swindon, especially as the reason given for needing the money is to upgrade infrastructure in London. The locals aren’t happy and the suggestion has been made that perhaps Thames should be split into Upper and Lower zones for billing purposes. An excellent idea. LondonContinueContinue reading “Down The Drain”
Contesting The Legacy
“There are certainly parts of the country that are more anti-her than others, but I think they tend to be the parts that have become relatively less important.”Charles Moore, former editor of the Daily TelegraphMoore spoke on the day that we saw the last of the Rt Hon the Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven. At leastContinueContinue reading “Contesting The Legacy”
Seizing Power
Those old enough to remember the world before it went completely mad may fondly recall nationalisation as an inspirational idea incompetently implemented. Good, in theory, because it allowed democracy to be extended into the field of economics, so that choices can be determined by intelligent debate rather than by a mindless love of money. Bad,ContinueContinue reading “Seizing Power”
Mortgaging Democracy
“Will the Tamar Bridge be sold?” That was the question posed by the Western Morning News earlier this month. And not just the bridge. Torquay’s Torre Abbey was mentioned too, though in both cases the relevant local councils denied any sale plans.Gordon Brown’s announcement that he plans to sell off our public assets was, theContinueContinue reading “Mortgaging Democracy”
Wessex Regionalists 