No Nuclear Power Stations being built if Labour get in power

[arista]

Nuclear Power stations
Must be built from now


But now EDF will say
we can not go ahead if Labour get in power 2015.


Which simply means in our Future
Power Cuts will stop so many in England.

Angela Knight
of Energy UK
speaking on all TV news today.

[Kazanne]

That's not good is it Arista?

[joeysteele]

I think she is jumping the gun a little, I watched her and was rather unimpressed to say the least.

[arista]

That's not good is it Arista?

Bang on Right Kaz

[Kizzy]

No nuclear power.. Well if we go ahead with fracking and it causes an earthquake we may be glad of that?

[arista]

http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2013/9/24/261331/default/v1/250913-the-times-1-329x437.jpg

"Q. How would energy firms react if Labour went ahead?

A. With anger. They might ramp prices up before any freeze came into effect. Some might even threaten to quit Britain altogether. "


sunonline+

[joeysteele]

http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2013/9/24/261331/default/v1/250913-the-times-1-329x437.jpg

"Q. How would energy firms react if Labour went ahead?

A. With anger. They might ramp prices up before any freeze came into effect. Some might even threaten to quit Britain altogether. "


sunonline+

If Labour was elected in 2015 then those energy firms will need to think very carefully what they do and don;t do in the light of this policy.
They have had their own way, ripping people off left right and centre for years now and show no understanding or compromise.

They will also be fully aware that since this is only for the period June 2015 to early 2017 and that then they will still have to be working under a Labour Govt for many more years after this freeze is ended.

I knew they would scream blue murder, greedy,incompetent sources generally do.
It is really a sad and bad thing when this Govt has been reducing the incomes of so many people that this Govt haven't done more to help bring about a freeze in energy prices too anyway themselves.

The energy spokesmen/women can scream all they like but they never listen to the screams of their customers so their ugly sort of threats should be discounted.
They could learn a lot themselves from having to 'struggle' for a short time to balance things,they may even learn more as to how their customers feel most of the time then.

[Toy Soldier]

http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2013/9/24/261331/default/v1/250913-the-times-1-329x437.jpg

"Q. How would energy firms react if Labour went ahead?

A. With anger. They might ramp prices up before any freeze came into effect. Some might even threaten to quit Britain altogether. "


sunonline+

And this would be a reason to cave? Our governments should start giving in to corporate bullying (more than they already do behind the scenes)?

I struggle with the question of energy... On the one hand, prices are getting to be unsustainable for many people... 4 years ago my energy bill was around £70 a month, its now £110 a month without any significant change in usage. coal and gas power stations are not sustainable and the prices will just rise until it runs out altogether.

On the other hand, we're not making enough progress with renewable energy sources for it to be a realistic prospect for our energy needs - and then you have nuclear. Official statistics say the risk of meltdown is "1 in 10,000 years" ... And yet there have been two world-altering meltdowns in the last 50 years. the effect of the fukushima meltdown is being massively covered up and underplayed - it's still spewing radioactive material into the pacific, theres another reactor core still posing a massive threat, and much more radiation hit the western coast of the US than has ever been reported by the mainstream media. Remember that it took 10 to 20 years for the full extent of Chernobyl to see the light of day. Work on Chernobyl is still endlessly ongoing, also, some 30 years later, to keep it fully contained.

Basically I think nuclear energy is potentially very scary ****. Most people have this idea that "the scientists", "the engineers", "the people in power" actually know what they're doing and have a grip on it but there's plenty of evidence - some very recent - that we're little more than children playing with matches.

[joeysteele]

And this would be a reason to cave? Our governments should start giving in to corporate bullying (more than they already do behind the scenes)?

I struggle with the question of energy... On the one hand, prices are getting to be unsustainable for many people... 4 years ago my energy bill was around £70 a month, its now £110 a month without any significant change in usage. coal and gas power stations are not sustainable and the prices will just rise until it runs out altogether.

On the other hand, we're not making enough progress with renewable energy sources for it to be a realistic prospect for our energy needs - and then you have nuclear. Official statistics say the risk of meltdown is "1 in 10,000 years" ... And yet there have been two world-altering meltdowns in the last 50 years. the effect of the fukushima meltdown is being massively covered up and underplayed - it's still spewing radioactive material into the pacific, theres another reactor core still posing a massive threat, and much more radiation hit the western coast of the US than has ever been reported by the mainstream media. Remember that it took 10 to 20 years for the full extent of Chernobyl to see the light of day. Work on Chernobyl is still endlessly ongoing, also, some 30 years later, to keep it fully contained.

Basically I think nuclear energy is potentially very scary ****. Most people have this idea that "the scientists", "the engineers", "the people in power" actually know what they're doing and have a grip on it but there's plenty of evidence - some very recent - that we're little more than children playing with matches.

Excellent post and a very strong ending to it too.
I agree with you,I also have to say you make and raise brilliant points.
Really interesting reading all the time from you Toy Soldier.

[Nedusa]

So what are we supposed to do to meet our rising energy demands in the next 20-40 years ? Without new nuclear power stations we are at the mercy of the open market wrt to importing Oil and Gas. We are currently a net importer of fuel and rely on buying from the open markets to cover our deficit. But with Gas and Oil costs rising we are paying ever more for these commodities.

We need to invest in our own energy production and Nuclear is really the only viable option bearing in mind the problems with Oil and Gas which have large greenhouse gas emissions which would put us in breach of our Carbon emissions quotas. The cost of investing in Power stations with Carbon Capture technology is cost prohibitive and so that only leaves renewable energy sources like wind,solar,tidal etc But these only account for some 8-14% of demand so cannot provide the massive amounts of power our country will require in the coming decades.

So until Nuclear Fusion becomes a reality in 2050 and beyond (as it is far cleaner and far safer) we have no real choice other than to stick with Nuclear Fission power and this demands massive investment in the next generation of Power stations and reprocessing technologies.

The last few Govt's have fudged the Energy issue but like the proverbial Elephant in the room it must be addressed and addressed NOW........!!!!!

[Livia]

The bottom line for me is this: why is a French, state-owned company having a say in what this country does or doesn't do in the future?

[arista]

The bottom line for me is this: why is a French, state-owned company having a say in what this country does or doesn't do in the future?




EDF may sell the UK part off
due to Stalinist Labour

[Livia]

EDF may sell the UK part off
due to Stalinist Labour

So long as they sell it to a British firm. It drives me mad when we sell off the family jewels to foreigners.

[reece(:]

Too many nuclear stations could be really bad for the environment and sets up more potential for disasters. Stay safe and use renewables instead :hugesmile:

[arista]

Too many nuclear stations could be really bad for the environment and sets up more potential for disasters. Stay safe and use renewables instead :hugesmile:


You are wrong
they are closing current stations down
as they are real old.

New Nuclear Stations must be Built
fast or we will have massive power cuts

New Labour should have started on them in their long 13 years
but they did feck all.

[anne666]

Yes Labour should have addressed this and many other issues in their spending spree. Now of course it will be the Tories fault, whilst trying to reduce Labour's monumental debt.We will face power cuts, nothing is being done to stop that happening. We are also subject to any increase the foreign suppliers of Oil and gas choose to inflict on us. Sitting ducks.

[Marc]

I want Nuclear :shrug:

[joeysteele]

So long as they sell it to a British firm. It drives me mad when we sell off the family jewels to foreigners.

I 100% agree with you on that.

[Vicky.]

Erm, did I hear right on the news just now...companies are moaning that they wont be able to build new stations if the prices cant go up HOWEVER the prices have gone up for ever, but they havent built anything for ten years anyway? :laugh:

I may have misheard though.

I kinda agree with Ed here. I think the energy companies are just issuing threats because they cant face not robbing people as much in the future. I get his comparison with the banks too.

[arista]

I want Nuclear :shrug:


Yes if we do not Build the New ones

Its lights Out
thanks to
Fecking Stalinist Labour ( If they get into power May 2015)

[joeysteele]

Erm, did I hear right on the news just now...companies are moaning that they wont be able to build new stations if the prices cant go up HOWEVER the prices have gone up for ever, but they havent built anything for ten years anyway? :laugh:

I may have misheard though.

I kinda agree with Ed here. I think the energy companies are just issuing threats because they cant face not robbing people as much in the future. I get his comparison with the banks too.

It is right to take a stand against the greedy energy companies, their threats are not only pathetic but also obscene when you consider the vast profits they have been making over the years.

Miliband is dead right and it is time someone took a stand against them and up to now he is the only one to concretely make a decision to.
Every bit of pussyfooting around by this hopeless lot in Govt now as to the energy companies has resulted in them giving nothing more than lip service.

Time to shake them up and wake them up, I am certainly with Milband on this and actually feel the majority of the UK will be too.
I am not impressed with their doom and gloom statements and threats and frankly I think they should be condemned for making them.

If an elected Govt wins an election to freeze energy prices, the energy firms should respect and toe the line and also fulfill all their commitments for the future too.
It is only for 20 months for goodness sake,not years.
The greedy energy companies have no respect for their hard pressed customers but should accept at least the will of the electorate and elected Government.

[Niall]

The bottom line for me is this: why is a French, state-owned company having a say in what this country does or doesn't do in the future?

My thoughts exactly.

I agree with Labour too. Nuclear power isn't really the best option. We should be investing in renewable energy and create an industry out of it. It's a much better option in the long run.

[Kizzy]

Shame our coal mines were flooded isn't it?...
Anyhoo, yes the energy companies think they have us over an (oil) barrel, 'British gas'... that's a laugh!
they can't raise prices before as I suspect hikes may not be allowed to be linked to inflation, they may bung dave a tenner to change that?
Renewable and or green is the way hopefully.

[arista]

Shame our coal mines were flooded isn't it?...
Anyhoo, yes the energy companies think they have us over an (oil) barrel, 'British gas'... that's a laugh!
they can't raise prices before as I suspect hikes may not be allowed to be linked to inflation, they may bung dave a tenner to change that?
Renewable and or green is the way hopefully.


That is not enough for the whole of England

Old Nuclear Plants have Closed or about to

New ones must be built

or Power will be cut at Peak Times

http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2013/9/25/261514/default/v2/mail-1-329x437.jpg

http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2013/9/25/261524/default/v1/times-1-329x437.jpg

[joeysteele]

Incredible, Mandelson gets slated all the time he was a Minister in Blair's and then Gordon Brown's Govt,having to resign twice.
He was seen as irrelevant and rarely saying anything that was in line with what should be done or what was happening.

Now he makes a moan of sorts against the current party leader's policies, his word is worth front page news.
His sort of policies/ideas contributed in part to Labour's loss of the last election.

What I would like to see on so called newspapers front pages is what ordinary people think of this policy and in fact especially customers of these greedy energy companies.
Let's have some real people and real sense on the front pages for a change.

As for the rubbish Daily Mail, really can anyone take that garbage they report seriously anymore, it is fast becoming worse than The Sun.

[arista]

[Labour leader Ed Miliband was left
looking fuelish
yesterday as his vow to freeze
energy bills blew up in his face.
The pledge — if he ever makes
it to No10 — saw almost £2Billion
wiped off the value of gas and electricity shares,
hitting pension fund investments.
And just hours after electrifying his
party conference with what was seen
a sure-fire vote-winner, “Red” Ed
was even forced to reveal families
could face Higher Bills thanks to him.
He conceded there was a threat that energy
giants facing a £4.5billion squeeze under his
freeze could get together to hike prices
in advance just in case Labour wins power in 2015.]
by Kevin Schofield , Chief Political Correspondent, and Simon English, City Editor
sun politics online +


The Sun is watching the mess.

[Kizzy]

It's less 'news' and more 'propaganda' really, the facts are whilst wholesale costs have fallen costs for consumers are still rising,
The profits are through the roof now, there has to be some ethical redress I think.
Once again tory rags are screaming about how unfair it is for the poor fatcats...And some dumb clucks will swallow this, it's unbelievable, are people truly so feeble minded they can be swayed into accepting this as an inevitability?

[arista]

It's less 'news' and more 'propaganda' really, the facts are whilst wholesale costs have fallen costs for consumers are still rising,
The profits are through the roof now, there has to be some ethical redress I think.
Once again tory rags are screaming about how unfair it is for the poor fatcats...And some dumb clucks will swallow this, it's unbelievable, are people truly so feeble minded they can be swayed into accepting this as an inevitability?



No I want my lights staying on
in Future winters

[joeysteele]

The Sun is watching the mess,TheSun wants to sort its own rotten and biased mess out before it looks at anyone or anything else.
Hardly any recommendation.

To the charge that energy firms could hike prices in 2014 before this could take effect in 2015, well what will the present Govt do to stop that happening.
It is in power, it should be making sure that cannot be the case. It is 'supposed' to be concerned at the rising costs of energy bills for customers too.
How could it allow a great inflation busting hike in prices from the energy companies and do nothing about that.

This could actually be a really good test as to where this Govt's thoughts really lie with energy bills and any inaction from this Coalition Govt would speak volumes as to them, not Ed Miliband and Labour.
He is not yet the PM and Labour is not yet the Govt.

So I ask, what would this present Govt. do if the energy firms tried to do a massive further hike in bills before the next election, that is even bigger than what they are already doing anyway.
This Govt should now, ensure that cannot happen and be as firm with the energy giants as Miliband has set out to be at the very least.

So will this Coalition Govt. stand up for the 'customers' or the 'energy giants', now there is something that the Sun and all other media should really be looking at and watching.

[Kizzy]

I think we already know the answer to that one :laugh:

[joeysteele]

I think we already know the answer to that one :laugh:

Well one thing is for sure, Ed Miliband has stirred up the greedy energy companies and also maybe inadvertently put the present Govt on the spot with this policy too.

Just 20 months before an election, this Govt now has the chance to show first why the regulator they have in place couldn't stop a huge hike in advance of this policy but also exactly where they as a Govt. stand too, on the side of the customers or supporting the energy giants.

This is not now Labour's dilemma in the run up to the election, it is in fact David Camerons since the tables have now been turned on him for the next 20 months as to this.
Also if the energy giants tried to hike prices massively in advance, it will be an equally good test to watch how the Lib Dems respond to that too.

I am beginning to think this may be a work of genius from Ed Miliband to announce this policy now,all he has to do is watch it play out.
He is not responsible for price hikes before the 2015 election and the Govt. cannot risk more inflation busting rises either before then or even allow them to take place,so should act strongly and swiftly if such hikes are threatened and tried by the big energy companies..

[Kizzy]

It's already been announced there's one in the pipeline( I crack myself up) of 8%, for budgets already squeezed how is that going to play out?
If we also take into account the implications of further hikes over the next 2yrs how will that impact on public spending and the economy?....
Nobody is looking at the bigger picture in real terms and just trying to cause panic to justify the current practices.
Stating this will have an effect on pensions, if nothing is done pensions with be worth less due to the conundrum of whether you can afford to heat or eat on your fixed income.

[arista]

Kizzy and Joey
so you both want Massive power cuts.

That what is in our future
I am shocked that you get tricked so easy.

[MeMyselfAndI]

Oh dear, this is not good. People saying 'invest in renewable hehe x', I don't think they realise firsly howmany years it takes to invest in that & renewable energy has so many variables and definitely wouldn't be enough.

[Vicky.]

I honestly do not believe we will have powercuts through them not raising the price for a while.

[arista]

I honestly do not believe we will have powercuts through them not raising the price for a while.


We will Vicky
we do not enough Nuclear Power Stations
They need to be built fast.

[Vicky.]

We will Vicky
we do not enough Nuclear Power Stations
They need to be built fast.

Why havent any been built in the past few years then? Afterall, bills have been going up, which is apparently what they need to build them :whistle:

[arista]

Why havent any been built in the past few years then? Afterall, bills have been going up, which is apparently what they need to build them :whistle:


Due to EDF delays


The fecking New Labour should have started the buildings
in their long 13 years


and Bills went up for you to pay for wind machines in the ocean

[Vicky.]

Yup. As usual, the worlds problems are all labours fault. Surprised the BBC didnt get the blame somewhere along the line too. Keep fighting the good fight arista :D

[joeysteele]

I honestly do not believe we will have powercuts through them not raising the price for a while.

We hear all the time of bad Unions attempting to and threatening to hold the Country to ransom with threats of this and that, here we have the energy giants doing so and they are near hailed for it.

There should be no need whatsoever for any power cuts and I believe there won't be becasue these greedy energy companies will have to work with a Labour Govt. if they win in 2015 and long after this price rise freeze too.

What the energy companies should in fact be doing, is making provision from the vast profits they have had over the last 2 decades at least and also the profits they will make in the 20 months up to the next election to prepare for this short interruption to even more profits from their customers.

They can surely be more selective as to how they 'waste' those profits up to that time.
The other thing is, Ed Miliband is using that 20 months of a price rise freeze to look at the whole energy situation thoroughly and also setting up a new regulator which will have real teeth to deal with them.
Nothing bad then about this policy at all except for the already ugly threats of the big energy companies screaming because their vast profits are going to be limited for 20 months and now they think they can hold the Country to ransom.

Absolutely ridiculous and they should be made to toe the line or clear off and let others take over.
This Govt. has failed miserably to deal with them and allowed far too much freedom as to price hikes, it is time they took action against these companies too.

No need at all for any blackouts whatsoever and with 20 months to plan ahead for this policy, it would be a sign of sheer and total incompetence for the energy companies to not be able to plan ahead too with so much time.
Scaremongering,pathetic greed and also ugly threats just about sums up these energy companies.

It is time they were really brought into line and made to serve the Country they are responsible for the energy for and not just keep looking to lining their own pockets year after year,decade after decade.

If they won't do that then they should be made to.
I again applaud Ed Miliband for at least making a start to stand up to them.
I am equally though stunned at this Govt. in power now, even allowing the energy companies to do this scaremongering and also to make the ugly threats they are as to power cuts.

Where is Cameron in standing up for energy consumers, where are the Lib Dems too, time they were brought to account too for allowing so much as to price hikes over the 3+ years they have had power.

Labour failed to grasp this too when in Govt.
However it seems Ed Milband has learned that lesson and he is someone at last who is setting out to do a lot more for the consumers rather than the greedy big 6 companies.

[joeysteele]

Due to EDF delays


The fecking New Labour should have started the buildings
in their long 13 years


and Bills went up for you to pay for wind machines in the ocean

Nothing much has been achieved by this Govt either arista.

I suspect arista if this was the Unions threatening power cuts you would likely want them hung drawn and quartered.
Because it is big business why should they get away with threatening to hold the Country and their customers to ransom for the sake of only 20 months of a price freeze.

A halt to energy increases in price is way long overdue and this is an issue that needed sorting a good while ago.
Even during the Consrervatives 18 years in power too and especially at the time of them privatising Gas and Electricity,they should have made sure at that sell off that certain safeguards were well and truly in place as to the conduct of those responsible for supplying energy to the UK.

Labour did not do brilliantly on energy in their 13 years but this present Govt. has done nothing at all in their time in power,just allowing rise after rise to take place.

[arista]

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2013/9/26/1380235418259/Steve-Bell-cartoon-27-Sep-001.jpg

Cartoon by the great Steve Bell

[joeysteele]

I am not so sure now that actually looking and going back is a bad thing to be doing on some issues.

It seems to me the more I read as to how some things were done decades ago, we seemed to have the answers, now all we seem to get left with are questions.