#lab13 The reactions of energy companies to Ed Miliband’s modest proposal to challenge market failure and impose a 20 month price freeze (from 2015 to 2017) in utilities prices are as predictable as they are hysterical. Today’s media references to ‘disastrous consequences,’ ‘economic ruin’ and ‘power cuts’ reflect the determination of corporate interests to resist political regulation let alone a return to public ownership.
Neil Clark of the Campaign for Public Ownership has pointed out ultimately more radical measures will be required to resolve the underlying problem: ‘the experts tell us that we need more competition in the energy market. We need more regulation. We need the government to ‘get tough’ with the utility companies and make it easier for us to switch providers. But the reason why our utility bills are so high and continue to rise year after year above inflation is a simple one indeed. It is the same reason our rail fares are so high and continue to rise year after year above inflation. It's called privatisation’
http://campaign4publicownership.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/energy-crisis-answer-is-obvious.html
#lab13 Paul Kenny of the GMB and chair of TULO spoke on behalf of all Labour’s affiliated unions in Sunday’s short debate on the interim report of Lord Collins and threw down the gauntlet to those wanting to marginalise unions in the Labour Party: ‘the desire to expand party membership is a shared one but, let nobody be under any illusion that as collective organisations the removal or sale of our collective voice is not on the agenda.’
#lab13 With the run up to the General Election underway, the need for a strong set of values to replace the illiberal, reactionary ideology of the Con Dem Government is paramount. As yet the Labour Party has not set out a clear alternative. But trade union votes should not be taken for granted. Some of us have been here before, being told not to 'rock the boat.'
