Liberal Conspiracy is helping Compass to spearhead a call for a windfall tax on energy companies. Apparently they are making far too much money and we want a piece of that pie. The article itself says...

Yet despite the billions made in profits, the energy industry spends just £50 million a year combating fuel poverty and has only agreed to raise this to £150 million a year by 2010. But every 10% increase in energy prices mean an extra 400,000 people go into fuel poverty.

I'm afraid that "we" don't all agree with this kind of thinking and feel very cautious about a windfall tax.

I've said it before, we don't need quick fixes we need absolute change in the strategy for trading energy.

Yesterday the new Finance bill went through with a comfortable vote on all counts, the government and Labour party clearly rallied together enough not to enable the Tories to claim a victory here. The main crux of the debates yesterday surrounded car taxation and partly fuel duty for those in "remote rural" areas.

Without sugar coating it, the debate was awful. It was engaging in a way that usually only a minor car accident can be, and definitely showed the worst of our elected representatives.

So, looks like someone has joined in the debate on one of my recent articles…

There's a lot of debate in left-wing-commentaryland at the moment about electricity and gas prices, 'fuel poverty', and how these relate to the profits made by energy companies.

It's interesting how my article has been included in the "left wing" niche. Considering the only left wing aspect of my discussion is to impose state regulation if necessary on to utility companies while suggesting a *reduction* in state benefits I'm slightly bemused how it can be so easily filed as such. But I digress, on to the rest of my criticisms and acknowledgements of John B's stance. I shall at least afford him the dignity of reading his article and hope he has the integrity to try that out for himself one day.

If you were to ask me what I believe the real problem with Labour is right now, and their gloomy looking future after the recent YouGov poll, I would say that it isn't the 10p fiasco, it isn't fuel prices, it isn't energy bills, it isn't council tax, and it isn't Gordon Brown. Well, at least not individually, it's all of it all more that sums up to one whole that is of greater concern that its parts...it's perception over take home pay and just how much we're being bled dry by various different outlets of our hard earned.

So, what better for Labour and their popularity than to truly start solving this disparity, or at least to make solid and honest attempts to ensure that no-one is under any illusions that the Tories (or anyone else) are actually going to be able to manage the economy better? For me the best place to start is with our energy prices, a subject that the government clearly feel is a priority given the announcements made on the 30th of May. Don't be fooled though, if you're hoping for a cure to the ever booming gas and electricity prices then you'll be sorely disappointed by this latest official announcement.

If I were in charge what would I ask for...nay, demand? I would say that the government needs to demand reform of the pricing structure of Gas and Electricity in this country. It is quite simply like living in bizarro land to see energy companies blathering on in their adverts about how much they care about the environment and just need us (the customer) to change our ways to be eco-friendly, when their pricing structures proportionally benefit those that waste energy and can afford to do so. It is this proportionality of value for energy that is so irking.

If you'd like to read more about my issues with energy pricing structures and what I would like to see happen in the future, please read on by following the link below!

As usual my Thursday spot on Casting the net is complete and it's time to share, share, share. I'm busy with work currently but I aim to put a couple of posts on over the next couple of days regarding Boris Johnson and his half a £million "transition team", as well as some more comments on the latest issues of the day!

Remember to check out the following links that didn't quite make it in to my review, or go ahead and click continue reading below to see the full list posted up on Liberal Conspiracy.

Comment is free - Jeremy is very critical of Cameron and two faced Tories. A scathing attack worth a read.
Three line whip - A brief explaination of the history of the word "crap" in parliament.
Schneider Home - Is it bad for Labour? Well to use an oft used Lib Dem argument, it's not as bad as those in Germany.
Kerron Cross - It's always good to know that no matter what the politics of the day, someone is looking for your style mistakes!

The Liberal Democrats announced on Tuesday a "radical" new plan that aims to shake up transport policy in the country for the future. Unfortunately for them it really isn't radical enough, more accurately it is a collection of good ideas marred by not enough courage or vision to be truly radical wrapped up in a package who's most radical proposal is to fund and create one of the most illiberal transport legislature ever made.

Cutting fuel duty and abolishing VED over the next 10 years and introducing a cost-neutral road user pricing scheme on motorways and trunk roads. - Liberal Democrat Website

If you're interested in more of this debate amongst Lib Dem bloggers and other interested parties then head over to Lib Dem Voice now and take a look at what's been said. Otherwise please read on for more of my thoughts by following the link below!

It was released on Monday, a report that gave a detailed look at the idea of moving towards a system of carbon trading between individuals rather than green taxes. I've said in the past how much I like the ideas Tim Yeo puts forward, an MP that despite being a Tory seems to put forward (at least recently) very liberal and socially motivated suggestions...and given this is something that tackles my already documented annoyance with green taxes I just have to write about this particular scheme!

Green taxes, apparently they will save the world. I on the other hand think that they are being mishandled and misused as a means for generating income off of people unfairly. Green taxes, at their best, are a means of penalising those that make active choices to do environmentally unfriendly things and to take money from them to actually go about solving this country's climate change issues.

At their worst, however, they are used to plug gaps in local governance finances with disregard to reality and to simply make it looks like something is being done to tackle climate change...even if it means telling supermarkets to generate more profits without a set plan on how to spend those profits on green initiatives.

As it happens David Cameron has wised up to this and becomes the only party leader so far to actually start thinking sensibly on the issue of climate change when it comes to Green Taxes, for whatever means that is.

So the first part of my thoughts goes to Environmentally charged changes in the budget, potentially one of the biggest political areas in the budget that turned out to be more than a damp squib.

Can I just say... HALLELUJAH! If there is a god then they have obviously heard our collective prayers because today's PMQs was far beyond head and shoulders above the rest of the recent events

The reason for this seems to be partly down to a slight reduction in the heckling, but in reality I believe it to be because of as much as half the amount of planted Labour questions, real issues being discussed, and perhaps through a lack of pressure a Prime Minister that actually answered questions better without the constant need to attack "the party opposite"