Stop Tinkering: Govern and Inform

Who is in charge?

The government is so poor at communicating that we have to guess what is going on. Gordon Brown and Hilary Benn tell us that there will be no immediate cash payment (£100 was floated) for pensioners - because the priority is long term measures (10 year,20 year) to save energy. This is likely to be of small comfort to people in their 80s and 90s.

From press reports, we learn that the reason for the non payment is that the energy companies will not play ball. The foreign controlled companies (French, German) fear that, if they agreed to the £100 payment, their own governments would demand the same.

All of this, of course, demonstrates the folly of privatisation. The position would, clearly, have been very different if energy companies had remained under public control.

Does Democracy mean anything?

We do not elect energy companies: we elect governments. We expect them not only 'to feel our pain' but to do something about it - and to remember that our gas and electricity bills have to be paid NOW.

The finance to support people, and the economy, at the level required (£20-30 Billion) could be acquired from two sources - and the action would receive overwhelming public support.

The first source is a windfall tax on companies (especially energy companies) making obscenely large profits. The government, we are told, hesitates because this would upset the City of London and result in companies moving their bases to other countries.

This would probable not happen on any significant scale. If it did, we should be pleased to say goodbye. The City of London (especially banks etc) contributed significantly to the current economic difficulties. They must not be allowed to govern the country.

The second source is to slash the defence budget, and borrow now against the funds which would become available next year and the year after. This means withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan and developing an international policy based on support for the United Nations.

This would, no doubt, upset the USA. But government from Washington is no more acceptable than government by the City of London.

Radical Policy Changes

For detail, including fuller explanation of the policy changes necessary, go to Ebay and buy (at cost £4, including p&p) Capitalism in Crisis: the Socialist Solution - which could be as aptly entitled 'the Common Sense Solution'.

This booklet is also available (same cost) from John Kyte, Flat 27, No 1 Park Hill, Moseley, Birmingham B13 8DU.