Prime Minister Boris Johnson is dragged out of office still swearing Brexit is working for the UK despite the economy tanking out of control. Liz Truss, who looks likely to succeed him, has her own crackpot ideas how to fix it. Sunak is too busy with his new oversized swimming pool…
… to be concerned (just one of four homes!) His new pool, tennis court, and gymnasium is costing £400,000 for his £1,500,000 pad near Northallerton. His economy’s doing very nicely, thank you.
The figures in the chart above speak for themselves. Despite Covid-19, the war in Ukraine, and other external influences, EU countries energy price rises are well below those of the UK.
Average energy prices over the whole EU are only 41% up on this time last year, 2021. Italy is the highest with a rise of 77%, and Germany up a mere 23%. France comes romping home a clear winner with only a 4% increase over the same period, while the UK hardly made the field with a whopping 215% increase.
Brexit is working? For whom? Certainly not the average UK citizen forced to rely on food banks, faced with either freezing or eating this winter.
You may well ask how France has kept prices at such a low level despite the rising cost of electricity and gas? It’s really simple: France holds an 84% stake in the biggest electricity company, EDF, and so was in a position to cap price rises at 4%. The French state owns Engie (Gaz de France) outright so can regulate prices to suit.
According to the English language online news media, “The Local”:
“The French state owns a lot of service and utility companies including the country’s rail provider SNCF, postal service La Poste and France Télévisions. One notable exception is the country’s autoroutes, which are run by private companies, although the government sets limits on toll charges. “
Socialism, a dirty word to the UK Tory Party, but have they done any better with their “free market deregulation” over the last twelve years? French citizens may pay a little more in tax, if they can afford to, than their British counterparts, but they get an awful lot back in return, and if they don’t they’re not slow in causing their government a few headaches.
Brexit is working? You be the judge.