Collapsing energy companies, food firms fearing shortages and two fertiliser plants ceasing production as world gas prices soar is a perfect storm demanding strong leadership by the Government.
Standing back and letting the market rip isn’t an option when interconnected industrial processes could wreak havoc, as shown by the higher gas costs shutting those plants that create 60% of the UK’s food-grade carbon dioxide used in manufacturing.
On top of damaging disruption to supply chains created by a bad Brexit deal and Covid, this is another blow for consumers and the economy which must be sorted quickly.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng should abandon his Thatcherite ideological hostility to industrial strategy and act in the public interest. Immediately. And whatever short-term fix is agreed, long-term problems require greater regulation than Ofgem in its current form is capable of delivering.
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Talk is cheap from hype merchant Boris Johnson who could easily be charmed into talking about space flights by Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man.
So when the PM vows to tackle Amazon’s owner boss over how little he pays in tax here we want to see the colour of the money.
Because a Tory leader with a long history of fibs, half-truths and hyperbole must prove to the British people he has a plan to force the American corporation to pay fair.
Or Johnson’s billed tough talk will be worse than worthless – it’ll be another deception by the PM.
Thanks, fellas
England football legend Jimmy Greaves and Only Fools and Horses star John Challis gave so much pleasure to so many.
Greaves was a brilliant goalscorer and successful TV pundit, Challis a comic genius as dodgy second hand car dealer Boycie.
We mourn the deaths of both but give thanks too for years of entertainment from two exceptional men.
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