USE IT OR LOSE IT.

USE IT OR LOSE IT

Is going to be the motto for the next few weeks and months as furlough comes to an end in a few days time and around 150,000 people in Scotland face the prospect of their jobs being at severe risk. This is especially true in the highly vulnerable hospitality and tourism industries where the end of the summer tourist season, such as it was, also winds down.

I am especially worried for businesses in marginal areas, where profitability is always a challenge with Covid and the natural fear, especially amongst older folk, to come out has created great difficulties for little cafes and the like. The places where pensioners could meet their pals and escape the loneliness of their own homes even for an hour or so. The place where they could chat and interact with all age groups in their communities.

Businesses like those double as community welfare outlets, particularly in working class poorer areas where there are very few facilities to start with. Yet they suffer from indiscriminate taxes like VAT and business rates that take no account of the economic challenge of maintaining any type of profitable business where huge limitations on pricing exists and where even small price increases can result in a significant drop off in trade as the customers are often on fixed incomes and are struggling financially themselves.

With many facing huge energy increases in the next year I am anticipating a rerun of the situation that existed in Estonia in the early nineties where there were many who could not afford to heat their homes and the Russians were playing hardball insisting on payment up front and backing it up with power blockages. This in a country where the temperatures could drop to minus twenty degrees or even worse.

Many older people survived by heading to the bars owned by folk from the West and who would have their own generators. They would buy a coffee and sit for hours enjoying the light and heat until the power came back on in their part of the city. For some it would be the only heat they would enjoy that day. It wasn’t great for trade but the bar owners, in the main, recognised the crisis and let them sit it out for as long as they could.

Scotland as we all know is rich in renewables! A method of production that is so cost effective in comparison to fossil fueled power and nuclear energy it’s low costs are heavily disguised by the energy companies. Hence the high costs for Scottish producers to connect with the grid and the many other restrictions designed to protect the older methods of power generation from competition.

This leads to some astonishing anomalies. Anybody wanting a parcel delivered to any remote area of the UK, REMOTE BEING HUGE CHUNKS OF THE SCOTTISH MAINLAND, NEVER MIND THE ISLANDS, WILL BE AWARE OF THE HUGE SURCHARGES DEMANDED BY THE SUPPLIER DOWN SOUTH. THAT IS IF THEY WILL DELIVER AT ALL. THERE ARE MANY NO GO AREAS WHERE DELIVERIES AT ANY PRICE ARE RULED “IMPOSSIBLE”

WHEN IT COMES TO ENERGY, THOSE RULES ARE TURNED ON THEIR HEAD. ENGLAND CANNOT PRODUCE THE ENERGY IT NEEDS. IT NEEDS TO IMPORT IT FROM SCOTLAND, OFTEN FROM THESE SAME “REMOTE AREAS” THEY LIKE TO BANG SURCHARGES ON, OR EVEN REFUSE TO SERVICE ALTOGETHER WHEN GOODS ARE MOVING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH.

SO WHAT HAPPENS THEN? Well the story goes like this, the point where the energy is created is distant from “the market” down South so the connection charge and distribution costs to get the energy to the end user is paid for by putting a surcharge on the SUPPLIER!

THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE COLONIAL POWER RIPPING OFF  HIS SCOTTISH COLONIAL SUBJECTS WITH JUST A SIMPLE TWEAK OF THE RULEBOOK.

ALL THE MORE RIDICULOUS WHEN ITS REVEALED THAT 97% of the power used in Scotland comes from renewables but every household in Scotland will share those huge hikes in prices this autumn because we must all contribute to the huge increases being experienced by those living elsewhere in the UK and relying on fossil fuels. You only get to experience those sort of rules by being subject to a colonial master. Did I mention ENERGY POLICY AND OPERATION IS A RESERVED POWER HELD EXCLUSIVELY BY WESTMINSTER? THEY DID IT WITH OIL NOW THEY ARE DOING IT WITH RENEWABLES. WHY SCOTLAND, WHY DO YOU TOLERATE THIS HUMILIATION, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT THIS IS? Mark my words Water will be next!

I got a bit diverted there as I get so outraged at the injustice of it all so to finish I just want to highlight the importance of supporting any small businesses in your communities over the coming months. Many businesses may never reopen, many that do will be very vulnerable and will struggle to stay afloat. If everyone makes a little effort then many will survive but if people sit at home and let these valuable local businesses close down, with the huge loss of jobs and amenity in your neighbourhood, then much of it will be irreplaceable and future generations living in your communities will have been robbed of all the limited pleasures you previously enjoyed.

For a better Scotland we must stand for our communities and ensure they are defended by ALL of us.

For a better Scotland

I am, as always

YOURS FOR SCOTLAND.

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