Over the weekend I was discusing the windfall tax issue with some comrades who are close to COMPASS. Now I have signed the Compass petition and I fully support it ( though what we really need is re-nationalisation of the utility companies) however I wonder what will happen to the laudable aims if , as sems likely, the Govt ignores the loud pleas for a windfall tax.
Today's Guardian reports that Ministers and the country's leading electricity companies are expected today to finalise a £1bn plan to " improve energy efficiency" and help cut soaring fuel bills.
Gordon Brown is also expected to announce improvements to the cold-weather payment scheme and the restoration of up to £100m of cuts in the government's own warm-front programmes but all this just doesn't go far enough. It is also a seriously missed opportunity to restore faith in Labour
I was rather taken with the typically acerbic wirds from Tony Woodley, the joint general secretary of Unite, who rightly pointed out "This can't be addressed by lagging the loft, as some crackpots around the prime minister have suggested. Without help with fuel bills now, we'll be lagging the coffins of the elderly if we have a cold winter."
Gordon Brown is also expected to announce improvements to the cold-weather payment scheme and the restoration of up to £100m of cuts in the government's own warm-front programmes but all this just doesn't go far enough. It is also a seriously missed opportunity to restore faith in Labour
I was rather taken with the typically acerbic wirds from Tony Woodley, the joint general secretary of Unite, who rightly pointed out "This can't be addressed by lagging the loft, as some crackpots around the prime minister have suggested. Without help with fuel bills now, we'll be lagging the coffins of the elderly if we have a cold winter."
But what I want to know is what will the trade union leaders and MPs actually DO if their campaign falls on stony ground. As happened last year on the REMPLOY issue - despite Woodley's fighting talk at a Conference rally.
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