Despite Oil falling in price by 25$ per barrell in the last 2 weeks and wholesale gas falling in price BRITISH GAS has done a 35% price rise........

GORDON BROWN should do something. If he does not do something then he should resign.

When ENERGY was privatised it was meant to be regulated so that they could not do this.

This is profiteering of the worst sort. They literally have us over a barrell because they wont reveal what they "pay" for gas on the marketplace ( unlike oil which has a set price )

Inflation is running at around 20% for food and fuel this year now - and Labour are doing nothing apart from fighting each other.........what a mess.

Thankfully our own British Gas prices are frozen until next year, so no immediate rise for us.

BR wrote:
Despite Oil falling in price by 25$ per barrell in the last 2 weeks and wholesale gas falling in price BRITISH GAS has done a 35% price rise........

GORDON BROWN should do something. If he does not do something then he should resign.

When ENERGY was privatised it was meant to be regulated so that they could not do this.

This is profiteering of the worst sort. They literally have us over a barrell because they wont reveal what they "pay" for gas on the marketplace ( unlike oil which has a set price )

Inflation is running at around 20% for food and fuel this year now - and Labour are doing nothing apart from fighting each other.........what a mess.

What should Brown do?

Brown - give power to energy regulator to stop price rises which dont reflect the wholesale market. In addition tax the profits of companies once they go above a certain level on environmental grounds - rather than us,

BR wrote:
Brown - give power to energy regulator to stop price rises which dont reflect the wholesale market. In addition tax the profits of companies once they go above a certain level on environmental grounds - rather than us,
On the first point, the process is already under way. IRC Ofcom's report is due in September.

So Brown is "doing something about it" but the Democratic process is slow.

The windfall tax is objected to (by the Energy Co, surprise surprise) because the Energy Co [claim their] profits are already down and taxing them would discourage investment etc. According to them there are no excess profits to trigger additional tax on environmental or any grounds.

Besides that taxing the Energy Co won't help those who have trouble making ends meet and who find the recent price raises will cause them financial difficulty... actually won't help any of us faced by dramatic price rises

Quote from BBC News:

Sam Laidlaw, Centrica's chief executive, said: "This is a business that has got a million shareholders - a lot of pension funds and people have got their savings invested in British Gas shares and we have to look after them".

In other words, British Gas is happy for poor pensioners to freeze to death and for the general economy of the country to suffer in order to subsidise the lifestyles of rich pensioners.

Somehow I don't think this was what was intended by "free market economics."

This is a lie. Most stocks and shares are owned by huge corporate investment banks.

British Gas is not owned by gangs of little old ladies who cant afford to pay their heating.

The majority of UK citizens would wish to Nationlise Water - Transport - Energy - in the UK and by doing that save the ENVIROMENT and have a decent programme to cut pollution and carbon emmissions. In doing this low prices could be charged because the element of profit in the prices would be removed.

In the absence of that it seems that Brown can introduce legislation at a stroke AGAINST UK citizens but when we are "Sinned Against" he holds reviews and by the time anything happens it is too late in my view.

We are in danger of creating a two tier society where those earning a decent wage are a minority and the poor keep getting poorer in real terms. A Flat Screen TV wont keep the family warm.

Nationalisation is the solution but we'll get it a too high a price when the whole thing is fucked.

Like the railway.

Best get our bahooky's down to the local Poly and learn how to knit!