Tag: UK

  • UK NHS Pay

    It’s relatively common knowledge that the NHS unions believe that pay in the NHS is not where it should be but …. Isn’t it important to recognise that when negotiating you have to first establish a baseline of the whole situation and not allow yourself to be cherry picked on just one element of the…

  • The UK (and wider) energy crisis

    We need to step up our thinking on the energy crisis, here’s my starter Solar gives a 10 year payback at the moment with typically at least a 25 year lifespan, where else do you get an almost guaranteed low risk 10% ROI (ex repairs which are typically minimal and EOL replacement) the govt can…

  • Solar and UK strategy

    Reading this article in The Guardian, why on earth would the government of a country that is going through an energy crisis suggest stopping what is the acknowledged cheapest way to produce electricity?

  • Europe’s energy crisis

    The big six energy companies (Centrica, EON, EDF, Iberdola & SSE) have about 75% of the UK market between them. Today, their combined Market Cap is around £140bn, and their profits last year totalled £15bn (probably more this year). In 2021 UK households spent around £13bn on Gas and £18bn on Electricity to give a…

  • The energy crisis – foreseeable?

    Great Telegraph article – No, the energy crisis is not some unforeseeable consequence of the Ukrainian war. It is the result of years of wishful thinking, preening and short-termism. We sit on 300 years’ supply of coal. We have rich pockets of gas trapped in rocks beneath Central Scotland, Yorkshire, Lancashire and Sussex. We have…

  • Water in the UK, what’s gone wrong?

    Remember how the UK government sold the old water boards which we already owned back to the eager public in the 80’s? well guess what happened – these private corporations have racked up £50bn in debt since privatisation, while paying out £57bn in dividends to shareholders. – https://lnkd.in/eQYHUydT

  • Unraveling Representation: A Closer Look at the UK Political System

    The United Kingdom has long prided itself on its rich democratic tradition and its commitment to governance by the people, for the people. However, a critical examination of the UK’s political system raises important questions about the extent to which it truly provides a government that faithfully represents its citizens. This commentary delves into some…

  • Life changes

    I hadn’t really thought about this post before today, why? Well, after working for 45 years in more countries than I can count I find myself on a flight back from Johannesburg to the UK contemplating what retirement looks like, I’ve nothing planned at the moment in terms of formal work but I do intend…

  • Mobile money – A cash replacement?

    In the 1920s, fuel stations, hotel chains and restaurants began offering their customers charge cards so that they would not have to carry cash with them at all times. With this action the breezy remark, “charge it” was born. By the 1960s, Diners Club, American Express and Bank of America had built empires on the…