According to Cameron – the answer to the scandalous rise in
energy prices by the big six suppliers is to switch to a smaller cheaper
provider. So that’s alright then.
Cheaper or cheapest not cheap. That is the choice. One
private firm or another. If you have the time and energy (excuse the pun) you
could set aside a few hours each month searching for a supplier slightly less
expensive than the one currently holding you to ransom and switch. That’s if your
current provider doesn’t impose a penalty for leaving whatever current tariff
they have you on.
Another tremendous idea from Cams is that the Chinese will
build nuclear power stations for us. Fab. A foreign power whose ethos and
work practices are so different from ours in charge of nuclear power here.
Shame it wasn’t Russia or Japan because Chernobyl and Fukushima were such great
parties.
According to today's BBC Radio 4 breakfast ‘news’, 8 million Brits
will be watching people make buns tonight. The ‘news’ presenter rushed through
an interview with Jeremy Hunt, skimming over NHS charges and how people are
going to keep warm when they can’t afford to heat their homes, so that we could
get onto a ridiculously extended piece about cup cakes. In reality, the only
things being thoroughly creamed off in the UK are the profits from utilities
that used to belong to us.
I’ve just been endeavouring to book a train to Manchester - there
is a connection – (another pun apology). Because I was attempting to use a free voucher
- compo for a previous crap journey - I saw that my travel would involve three,
possibly four different train companies on the four leg marathon. All more expensive
than they used to be despite the competition that was supposed to work in favour
of the customer.
I no longer have a land line with BT - there is a connection
– (same pun – sorry!) though I am still in dispute with them over charges
they’ve tried to levy on what was an unreliable line. Just having the line –
even if I rarely used it – became a notable expense to add to all the others
that hang over you with almost tangible weight. I’m sure I recall (!) a time
when landlines were cheap and reliable and if something went wrong a nice man came
round and fixed it.
My water charges – like yours - have gone up exponentially
over the years and still – all I actually get out of the tap is H2O.
Buses, at least where I live, are a nightmare of
irregularity, unreliability and complex and inflated charges since deregulation
in the 80s.
Watch out for the same nonsense with the Post Office.
Somehow – everything in Britain that we used to own is now run
for the benefit of shareholders. It’s costing us more and as the prices go up
the standard of service seems to decline with equal but opposite momentum.
If you think the NHS is safe, take a real look at what has
already happened and just how much private involvement has slimed in courtesy
of such schemes as PFI. How many scandals seem to find their roots in poorly
paid, under-trained workers and general low staffing levels?
If you really look closely you will see that a lot of
council services, even ones you hadn’t imagined, are out to tender. This is
privatisation once-removed. Meanwhile many councils continue to make decisions
that seem to have no bearing on the desires of their council tax payers – i.e.
closing libraries, while giving planning permissions to schemes that local
people dislike, making them seem no more accountable to local people than
national government.
Unless it’s going to buck the trend of every other piece of
national family silver that’s been flogged off - watch the postal service for
increased charges and poorer service.
We’ve been legally burgled in our own homes,
mugged on our own streets... several times. With increasing frequency the
bandits come back for more, sometimes much more, and we have to hand it over.
It’s called privatisation.
On a lighter note, I’ll be taking part in the First
UK Women in Comedy Festival
- Manchester
Kings Arms - Salford
8pm
info@womenincomedy.co.uk