It’s a case of ‘here we go again’, as all of us – not just motorists – find we are being held to ransom by greedy oil traders who have eclipsed the very companies themselves in manipulating the ‘black gold’ market, to send prices rocketing by Christmas.
Now, in keeping with a monetary theme, here’s the million dollar question: Will any government – not just the current one – ever do anything to ease the pressure on car users and consumers, who also pay the penalty when high fuel prices force up the price of goods because of increased transport costs?
The answer is: Nah! Not a chance – I bet Labour’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling has already worn his fingers down to the bone in a frenzy on his calculator trying to work out how much extra ‘ker-ching’ power HM Treasury can expect as fuel prices (petrol and diesel) head for the £5 per gallon (110p per litre) mark just in time for the festive season.
So, I guess it’s going to be another case of ‘Happy Christmas, Darling’, from motorists as they delve even deeper into their pockets to ensure the Treasury enjoys its tax on fuel – approx 70 per cent of what we pay goes into its coffers – and ruthless oil speculators collect fat cat salaries from fat cat profits.
To rub salt into the wound, these all-too-frequent fuel price hikes also penalise small businesses and workers of the down-to-earth variety – the very people the government relies on to keep the wheels of industry turning, thus boosting the economy. I expect Lord Sugar could offer a few sympathetic words of advice and encouragement to the aforementioned casualties in his official capacity of ‘business tsar’!
There just doesn’t seem to be any solution at the moment. And until someone comes up with a comprehensive range of readily available – not forgetting, cheap – fuels, there won’t be. We will always be the victims in an artificial market for one commodity (in this case oil), where price is dictated by supply and demand.
How do they do it? Well, at this moment in time there are more than 50 giant oil tankers anchored round the coast of Britain. Five have been stationed in Lyme Bay, Dorset, for more than two months, six are off the Kent/Essex coast, four are moored close to the Isle of Wight, while a whopping fleet of some 30 tankers are positioned about ten miles off Southwold in Suffolk in the only area of waters round the UK that allow ship-to-ship transfers of oil. A further nine tankers are positioned off East Coast refineries as far North as Grangemouth in the Firth of Forth. All of these vessels will, of course, eventually discharge their valuable cargoes – but only when speculators say the price is right.
So, should you be hardy enough to take a trip down to the coast today, be prepared for a new addition to the noise of seabirds borne on the wind: the sound of the speculators laughing all the way to the bank – at our expense.
EU LOSER
Allelujah! The news 99 per cent of us have been waiting for. Tony Blair will not be the first President of Europe!
Mind you, the choice of Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy with Lady Cathy Ashton (erm, sorry but who are these people?!) as High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy (blimey, that’s a mouthful!) is in itself a bit baffling.
Still, it might turn out OK. At worst we could all find ourselves eating more mussels and chips plus chocolate, all washed down with potent Belgian beer! But only time will tell.
YEE HA (HA, HA!)
It’s always good to discover an American with a good sense of humour. And it’s even better when it turns out to be a high ranking female politician – none other than Hillary Clinton (remember her hubby, good old Bill, eh?!), who…wait for it….says she’s got a crush on none other than our very own youthful Foreign Secretary David Miliband!
The 62-year-old US Secretary of State gushed in a magazine interview: “Well, if you saw him it would be a BIG crush. I mean he is so vibrant, vital, attractive, smart. He’s really a good guy. And he’s so young!” Erm, yes Hillary – but what about his politics?!
Anyway, I think we have discovered a bit of a mutual admiration society here, as Mr Miliband, 44, is on record as saying Mrs Clinton was ‘delightful to deal with one-to-one’.
“She’s someone who laughs and can tease, and she’s got perspective as well,” he adds.
Again – no mention of politics. And I’m getting seriously worried. I mean, could this be the start of something big, a whole new era for Anglo-American relationships perhaps?!
A DIM VIEW
Why am I not surprised at this: some ‘new fangled’ energy saving light bulbs are cr*p?! In fact, some (of the ‘compact fluorescent variety) are so cr*p because of a design fault they could lose up to 40 per cent of their brightness as they age, according to a report by the Institute of Engineering and Technology.
Apparently, this means that millions could need replacing long before reaching their advertised lifespan of five or six years – all this at a time when we are being forced to abandon traditional bulbs because of their threat to climate change. Great!
AUTUMN WATCH
If you’re out and about in the London Borough of Croydon watch out because ‘Big Brother’ could be watching your every move.
For the council has installed CCTV cameras inside the suburban homes of willing residents – the locations are not revealed – to secretly capture any anti-social behaviour that may be going on outside in the street. And any photographs can be used as evidence to take culprits to court.
Surely this cannot be legal, you may ask? Well, although reminiscent of tactics used by the Stasi (East German secret police), who recruited members of the public as spies, the action is permitted under the anti-terrorist Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act – a bit of a tenuous link being exploited here, methinks.
Needless to say, Simon Davies of Privacy International, is a tad upset, reportedly saying: “Unless the public are aware of where these cameras are, I believe this council should be taken to court for a breach of human rights.”
But Croydon councillor Gavin Barwell confirms the council’s position with the words: “We’ll be working together with the police to put them to best use.”
Personally, I just cannot imagine anyone giving the council permission to use their front room as a spy post in the first instance. I wonder if payment is involved?
Very scary.
FICKLE FINDINGS
Sorry girls, but this week’s most pointless research has confirmed that you are all fickle! But please don’t vent your wrath on me!
I’m just the messenger bearing news from three bloke researchers at Exeter University that males – right across the animal kingdom from humans to birds – are much more consistent in their personalities compared with females. And that, ladies, is something you apparently like!
And as a bloke, I really can’t be bothered to justify any of this – particularly as some of the study involves zebra finches (erm yes, maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned that!) – but will merely end with a quote from researcher Sasha Dall, who says: “Sticking to your guns and being very exploratory – even when there are predators around – has substantial costs. Females like a male who has that trait and has managed to get through all life’s travail and survive.”
Yep! There you go, totally convincing scientific proof!!!
Have a great weekend.
