WINNERS AND LOSERS

News that one of the 'Big Six' is due to announce a raise in profits at a time when many people are trying to avoid or to live with fuel poverty is never going to go down well with hard presser domestic energy customers. On Thursday Centrica (who own British Gas)are expected to reveal a group operating profit of £2.5 billion pounds, up four percent on 2010.

This unfortunately timed announcement comes against a backdrop of growing fuel poverty, which affects around 5.5 million households in the UK. Fuel poverty is defined as being when a household spends more than ten percent of their disposable income on gas and electricity. Fuel poverty is one of those things that the previous (and former) New Labour Government and the current Con Dem Government have done nothing about.

Nothing has been done or will be done to curb or regulate excessive profits from the energy companies via windfall tax. The talk about customers benefiting from dual fuel bills, etc, is mere distraction. What we have here is a dual political failure that speaks volumes as to how far both the former New Labour Government and the Conservatives (and their Lib Dem coat holders) have gone to drop even the pretence of standing up for the interests of ordinary people in favour of courting the City.

For growing numbers of ordinary people this winter it has come down to a choice of heat or eat, literally choosing between putting food on the table and heating their home. The only winners here are HM Government (with extra tax)and the big six energy companies (with fat profits) all of us as customers are losing hand over fist as the energy cartel ramps up its profits - I have not doubt over coming months that the rest of them perhaps slightly shamefaced (or perhaps not) will ever so quietly announce their profits as well.

A CROWDED HOUSE (COMMITTEE)

The Kiwi rock band, Crowded House, have a track talks about 4 seasons in one day, David ("Call me Prime Minister") Cameron is facing a possible Tory revolt as he faces the distinct prospect of 4 U Turns in one day, a result of having to appease / keep on board the somewhat junior Liberal Dem half of the Con Dem government (Clegg Minor, etc). The increasingly battered PM has ordered a time-out on pushing reform (privatisation) within the Health Service (in England) so the views of doctors and nurses could be heard(unpalatable) not to mention a strategic withdrawal (why not call it a retreat) on Tory plans to cap state welfare handouts at £26,000 a year; along with the collapse of the plan to bring back weekly bin collections (unaffordable); and a failure to reduce in the number of foreign students which will be half the figure previously indicated (unworkable). From a right wing home counties Tory perspective things can only get better (oh no that was the other lot) or perhaps worse... either way being a fly on the wall at the next Conservative (backbench MP's) 1922 Committee would be rather interesting I suspect.