UK Conservative Party Leadership Election

[ChopleyIOM]

I thought being a fellow PE subscriber you'd get the joke. Like I got yours about UK pensioners being 'racist'.

P.S.

In fact, let me make myself clear here as you have deliberately (as your moniker suggests you will) taken exaggerated umbrage over the comparison.

As you well know, I refer to his (Lord Haw-Haw's) constant propaganda campaign against the nation and society he once lived in. I'm not suggesting you are a Nazi or should be hung for treason as you damn well know, but your righteous indignation, even if unjustified in the context of my comment's meaning, is noted.

In fact, I have been a little unfair in my comparison as he was actually paid to try and undermine the confidence and mood of the UK, whereas you like to provide that service gratis.

Now it gets a little tiresome when someone who left the UK and benefits from a tax haven populated in part by not a few rich and wealthy, doesn't vote in UK elections, didn't vote in the Brexit referendum and pays 10% income tax as opposed to the 20% lowest rate for us, contantly lectures us all about where we went wrong. This usually takes the form of material and Tweets from other like-minded people. Of course you are entitled to your opinions as we all are but it comes across as constant sniping and not a little hypocritical - like being told by the multi-millionaires in Blair's cabinet what's good for us all.


That aside, you insulted millions of pensioners here, many of whom have served this country well in various careers, by insinuating they were all 'racists' which most of us just treated as a lazy and false stereotype.

Yes, we are in the shit right now for a variety of reasons and we need to have some good ideas quite quickly. Many people are nervous, me included. Yet you just pick and pick at old scabs and constantly tell us, usually with the benefit of hindsight, where you and your social media acolytes think we went wrong. Perhaps looking ahead rather than at a past we cannot change may be more constructive.

I didn't insult millions of pensioners, since I was referring specifically to the paid-up Tory party members who will be voting in the leadership election - at the last count there were about 160,000 of them, the majority of whom are indeed old, wealthy, white, Southern and yes, in many cases, a bit racist. (Are you really going to argue that point? You only need to look at the utter bilge Truss and Sunak are coming out with at the hustings to get a feel for who it is they're trying to appeal to. The only reason we ever got the Brexit referendum in the first place was because Cameron wanted to see off the threat of Farage's UKIP. Spoiler alert, UKIP is a bit racist.)

To be clear, I'm not saying all Tory party members are racist, but to deny that the Brexit campaign had racist overtones is to deny objective reality, we all remember Farage standing next to his 'BREAKING POINT' posters I'm sure, whilst also telling massive lies about Turkey being on the verge of joining the EU and all the Muslims who'd come to the UK as a result? That seam of racism has run through the Tories ever since and is on display in the current leadership contest, and it's there because of who Truss and Sunak know it appeals to.

I don't fire 'constant vitriol' at the UK, I fire constant vitriol at the Tory party in its current incarnation, starting with Cameron and his fucking stupid referendum and just about everything that's come since, culminating in the worst Prime Minister the UK has ever had in Boris Johnson, and now handing over the reins to certified headcase Liz Truss, whose economic plans are so batshit insane that you've got folks like Ken Clarke ringing alarm bells so loud they can hear them in Australia.

And for the record I didn't 'flee' to the IOM, please don't presume to know how I ended up here. Me and Mrs Chopley were living together in Manchester (where I was happy) but she was getting more and more homesick and wanted to be back here with her mum and dad, especially after her gran died, therefore leaving her mum and dad as her only surviving close family. I came over here for her, and for several years was terribly homesick, missing my family and friends to a massive extent. I remember when my dad used to come to visit in the late 90s, I just wanted to get in his car when he left and go back to Manchester with him. Over time it got better though, and now, 26 years after I first moved here the IOM really does feel like my true home, but it took me years to get to that point.

Anyway, to get back to the insulting pensioners thing, remember, this is who Cameron was trying to see off when he pledged an EU referendum - direct timestamped link to racism.

 

[mack341]

afaik the capital of england is at least 40% bame, just wondering when the capital of the IOM is going to reach this multicultural enriching number or even get close. I mean you're missing out surely?

 

[ChopleyIOM]

afaik the capital of england is at least 40% bame, just wondering when the capital of the IOM is going to reach this multicultural enriching number or even get close. I mean you're missing out surely?

I answered this over in the Brexit thread back in early July.

There is no arbitrary percentage threshold that would bother me.

Brexit - whats the difference..... - Page 192 - Casinomeister Forum

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Yes, we are in the shit right now for a variety of reasons and we need to have some good ideas quite quickly. Many people are nervous, me included. Yet you just pick and pick at old scabs and constantly tell us, usually with the benefit of hindsight, where you and your social media acolytes think we went wrong. Perhaps looking ahead rather than at a past we cannot change may be more constructive.

​

'Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed To Repeat It'​

Brexit is not an 'old scab', the most disastrous governments the UK has ever witnessed, headed up by the most unfit Prime Minister on record, are not 'old scabs'.

To understand how to fix a problem, we first need to understand what landed us in the shit in the first instance, and in this case it's twelve years of ruinous Tory government, a bungled, botched Brexit that a fucking monkey could have handled better, and twelve years of under-investment in core societal infrastructure (both people and places) that has left us dreadfully exposed to global pressures so we're suffering far more than many other advanced democracies.

I completely understand the desire to 'turn the page' and look forwards rather than backwards, if I'd had any hand whatsoever in propping up the absolute shower of fucking shit that passes for a government in the UK at the moment, and specifically Boris Fucking Johnson (how many foreign summer holidays can that useless lying fucking freeloader cram in?), I'd want to forget about it too.

Single simple example, Corbyn's manifesto going into the 2019 general election pledged a return to public ownership of all the utility companies, so that capitalist vultures couldn't make out like bandits when people just wanted hot water and heating in their homes.

CRAZY DANGEROUS COMMUNIST - DESTROY HIM.

Chopley's Top Tip going into the winter, Truss will have to enact some sort of emergency funding plan to stop people literally FREEZING TO FUCKING DEATH In their homes this winter, as ever, corporatisation of profits in the good times and nationalisation of losses in the hard times.

Mercenary capitalists have no place in the provision of the fundamentals of human life, because they'd literally rather see people fucking die than hurt their bottom line.

 

[mack341]

The elderly relying on the state pension and perhaps a small private one are going to be the ones most at risk, once the cold gets into their home it will start sapping away at their health and strength, regardless of how many jumpers they try to put on. A cold home will also most likely suffer from damp.

At the start and all during the lockdown the govt stressed how concerned they were at protecting the vulnerable and elderly, and we basically shut down a lot of normal life for that. So unless they're a bunch of absolute bullshit liars they will act to protect those pensioners on limited means this coming winter at least, so that they can put their heating on for a reasonable amount of time without the fear of bailiffs and court proceedings.

We also need an independent investigation into why energy costs have increased so much, I do not believe it is entirely due to the russia/ukraine conflict and sanctions. [tho obviously it is not helping]

 

[dunover]

The elderly relying on the state pension and perhaps a small private one are going to be the ones most at risk, once the cold gets into their home it will start sapping away at their health and strength, regardless of how many jumpers they try to put on. A cold home will also most likely suffer from damp.

At the start and all during the lockdown the govt stressed how concerned they were at protecting the vulnerable and elderly, and we basically shut down a lot of normal life for that. So unless they're a bunch of absolute bullshit liars they will act to protect those pensioners on limited means this coming winter at least, so that they can put their heating on for a reasonable amount of time without the fear of bailiffs and court proceedings.

We also need an independent investigation into why energy costs have increased so much, I do not believe it is entirely due to the russia/ukraine conflict and sanctions. [tho obviously it is not helping]

It's simply because all our energy (even domestically souced gas, oil, solar, nuclear and wind) is purchased on open markets at the market price by our energy companies as is any foreign-sourced energy. We sell it abroad bizarrely too as well as import. I reckon you think along the lines I do, which would be to compel ALL UK generated or sourced energy to be sold in the UK at cost to our own consumers before any proportion is imported at stupid prices, thus overall lowering costs to the consumer dramatically. This would mean energy companies here would only make profits from overseas trading (still significant if you look at the UK's 'big two' Shell and BP's colossal profits from overseas) and not horse-trading the UK supply.

 

[dunover]

I didn't insult millions of pensioners, since I was referring specifically to the paid-up Tory party members who will be voting in the leadership election - at the last count there were about 160,000 of them, the majority of whom are indeed old, wealthy, white, Southern and yes, in many cases, a bit racist. (Are you really going to argue that point? You only need to look at the utter bilge Truss and Sunak are coming out with at the hustings to get a feel for who it is they're trying to appeal to. The only reason we ever got the Brexit referendum in the first place was because Cameron wanted to see off the threat of Farage's UKIP. Spoiler alert, UKIP is a bit racist.)

To be clear, I'm not saying all Tory party members are racist, but to deny that the Brexit campaign had racist overtones is to deny objective reality, we all remember Farage standing next to his 'BREAKING POINT' posters I'm sure, whilst also telling massive lies about Turkey being on the verge of joining the EU and all the Muslims who'd come to the UK as a result? That seam of racism has run through the Tories ever since and is on display in the current leadership contest, and it's there because of who Truss and Sunak know it appeals to.

I don't fire 'constant vitriol' at the UK, I fire constant vitriol at the Tory party in its current incarnation, starting with Cameron and his fucking stupid referendum and just about everything that's come since, culminating in the worst Prime Minister the UK has ever had in Boris Johnson, and now handing over the reins to certified headcase Liz Truss, whose economic plans are so batshit insane that you've got folks like Ken Clarke ringing alarm bells so loud they can hear them in Australia.

And for the record I didn't 'flee' to the IOM, please don't presume to know how I ended up here. Me and Mrs Chopley were living together in Manchester (where I was happy) but she was getting more and more homesick and wanted to be back here with her mum and dad, especially after her gran died, therefore leaving her mum and dad as her only surviving close family. I came over here for her, and for several years was terribly homesick, missing my family and friends to a massive extent. I remember when my dad used to come to visit in the late 90s, I just wanted to get in his car when he left and go back to Manchester with him. Over time it got better though, and now, 26 years after I first moved here the IOM really does feel like my true home, but it took me years to get to that point.

Anyway, to get back to the insulting pensioners thing, remember, this is who Cameron was trying to see off when he pledged an EU referendum - direct timestamped link to racism.

Some lefty foreign-looking mainstream media luvvy trying to be funny? I seem to remember Brown getting his ass filled in when his microphone was left on back in 2010 for pretty much the same reason, ridiculing an old lady who had the temerity to complain about her town being colonized by foreigners. Er...he lost his vote. Er...the same way this pillock's side lost the Brexit vote. Seems the moronic lib-left don't learn from their mistakes either.....

 

[mack341]

This is foreboding, however I assume businesses pay more for energy because he mentions paying 15p a kwh unit in may, whereas I'm currently paying 7.5p.

According to ukpower the average gas consumption for a home is between 33-38 kwh per day, I think it could be more but even going with that figure the cost would be over £15 for 1 day's heating at 50p kwh

Maybe british gas and other suppliers are loading more of the energy hikes onto businesses, who I suppose could raise their prices in turn to help pay large bills e.g. add 20p to the cost of a pint etc... whereas a domestic consumer can't just increase their income.

 

[mcgameboy]

A disgusting comment from Truss, when asked if the President of France is 'friend or foe', Truss replies 'The jury is out'. France is one of the world's major democracies, one of our stoutest allies (including militarily), and Macron is its president - you just don't say shit like, effectively, 'Oh yeah. he might be a foe'.

You know who's a foe? Putin. That's the kind of world leader who we reserve the use of the word 'foe' for.

The more the public see of Truss, the less they like her (entirely understandably).

The poisonous morally delinquent nonsense she's coming out with might play well with Tory party members, but outside of that demographic, she's fucked.

Not really. Macron is an arrogant, annoying c*nt, who was more than happy to threaten to literally turn the lights out on the whole of Jersey....over fishing rights.

Yeah, REAL FRIENDLY.

But hey...Macrunt once squeezed Trumps' hand really hard when they shook hands, so "il est vraiment magnifique, n'est ce pas?"

To which I say...."tu peux baiser tout de suite"

Leopards do not change their spots. Especially c*nty ones.

 

[pinnit2014]

Not really. Macron is an arrogant, annoying c*nt, who was more than happy to threaten to literally turn the lights out on the whole of Jersey....over fishing rights.

Yeah, REAL FRIENDLY.

But hey...Macrunt once squeezed Trumps' hand really hard when they shook hands, so "il est vraiment magnifique, n'est ce pas?"

To which I say...."tu peux baiser tout de suite"

Leopards do not change their spots. Especially c*nty ones.

True

My only gripe with her comment was that she wasn't decisive enough, spit on the ground and go: there's your answer

 

[ChopleyIOM]

It's simply because all our energy (even domestically souced gas, oil, solar, nuclear and wind) is purchased on open markets at the market price by our energy companies as is any foreign-sourced energy. We sell it abroad bizarrely too as well as import. I reckon you think along the lines I do, which would be to compel ALL UK generated or sourced energy to be sold in the UK at cost to our own consumers before any proportion is imported at stupid prices, thus overall lowering costs to the consumer dramatically. This would mean energy companies here would only make profits from overseas trading (still significant if you look at the UK's 'big two' Shell and BP's colossal profits from overseas) and not horse-trading the UK supply.

So very close to nationalisation then.

Turns out the markets don't always know best after all, I guess.

Your friendly reminder that selling off the UK's family silver happened on Thatcher and Major's watch, driven by a free-market ideology that was apparently incapable of seeing what the endgame of their approach would be.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Not really. Macron is an arrogant, annoying c*nt, who was more than happy to threaten to literally turn the lights out on the whole of Jersey....over fishing rights.

Yeah, REAL FRIENDLY.

But hey...Macrunt once squeezed Trumps' hand really hard when they shook hands, so "il est vraiment magnifique, n'est ce pas?"

To which I say...."tu peux baiser tout de suite"

Leopards do not change their spots. Especially c*nty ones.

I see what you did there, you changed Macron's name so that it has the word 'cunt' in it!

DIANE FLABBOTT LOL AM I RIGHT EH?

 

[dunover]

So very close to nationalisation then.

Turns out the markets don't always know best after all, I guess.

Your friendly reminder that selling off the UK's family silver happened on Thatcher and Major's watch, driven by a free-market ideology that was apparently incapable of seeing what the endgame of their approach would be.

No, nothing like nationalization, but emergency powers and strategic supply management by law rather than purchase. Denationalization? well, that's a bit disingenuous even from you considering 30-odd years have passed since then and overall in real terms the utility costs were predominantly kept low for that period, in fact until recently some of the cheapest in Europe. You can hardly take lower prices for decades and then after 30 years bemoan a recent phenomenon. I suppose next we can blame the medievals for not building enough windmills and water wheels?

 

[pinnit2014]

Could be worse - you could live in Scotland: taxation and regulation: the vision of the current government

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[interlog]

And meanwhile in Europe, energy prices are at all time highs too.

This energy crisis is not exclusive to just the UK.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

No, nothing like nationalization, but emergency powers and strategic supply management by law rather than purchase. Denationalization? well, that's a bit disingenuous even from you considering 30-odd years have passed since then and overall in real terms the utility costs were predominantly kept low for that period, in fact until recently some of the cheapest in Europe. You can hardly take lower prices for decades and then after 30 years bemoan a recent phenomenon. I suppose next we can blame the medievals for not building enough windmills and water wheels?

But you've already said, essentially, that the market has failed and direct government intervention is required, the logical place these debates go to is public ownership of the utilities, 'cause with the current model, all that happens is the private interests make out like bandits in the good times, and Johnny Taxpayer has to step in during the bad times.

The fact that UK energy prices have been, in the main, reasonably low and consistent since privatisation is simply a reflection of the fact that the world's energy markets have been in that favourable condition too. If I go to the beach and it's a lovely sunny day, it's not thanks to my presence there, it's simply that I was just lucky enough for it be sunny. (I'd also be wading in human shit thanks to the privatised water companies, but I digress.)

It's also a fact, for example, that the privatised water companies have extracted billions and billions in profits whilst failing to reinvest in critical infrastructure, which is why we have one of the leakiest water systems in Europe, and also one that when it rains heavily, ceases to function and dumps millions of gallons of raw sewage into our waterways and seas, and onto our beaches.

 

[dunover]

I see what you did there, you changed Macron's name so that it has the word 'cunt' in it!

DIANE FLABBOTT LOL AM I RIGHT EH?

Oh do come on! I'm sure you are familiar with Piers Moron, Carter-Fuck etc. each fortnight. (and another 94 puerile names)

 

[ChopleyIOM]

Today's Daily Express.


From last night's 'Enough Is Enough' demonstration in Manchester.



Full clip here:

 

[Webzcas]

This is foreboding, however I assume businesses pay more for energy because he mentions paying 15p a kwh unit in may, whereas I'm currently paying 7.5p.

According to ukpower the average gas consumption for a home is between 33-38 kwh per day, I think it could be more but even going with that figure the cost would be over £15 for 1 day's heating at 50p kwh

Maybe british gas and other suppliers are loading more of the energy hikes onto businesses, who I suppose could raise their prices in turn to help pay large bills e.g. add 20p to the cost of a pint etc... whereas a domestic consumer can't just increase their income.

Now this is the reason as to why the government, regardless who is PM, needs to nationalise all oil and energy companies that produce oil and gas from UK owned North Sea fields.

They are selling said energy at sky high prices to the international market, which in turn is seeing their profits explode.

The problem the UK market has, is that your energy suppliers, such as Octopus et al are having to then buy said energy from the international markets at the Russian war fuelled inflated prices, which in turn are being passed on uncapped to businesses, hence the screenshot you posted Mack. Also to us private consumers at the rate of OfGem's cap figure.

British Gas are a supplier, but unlike Octopus has a foot in both camps as they are also a producer of energy with operations in the North Sea, directly benefiting as a business from the sky high energy costs.

The UK is not reliant on Russian gas or oil and is self sufficient when it comes to oil and gas and also has the ability to open more fields in the North Sea.

Simple solution, nationalise all companies that have an interest in the North Sea fields. Then ensure all oil and gas is not sold off to the international market, but goes to the domestic UK market at just above cost levels. Any excess then by all means sell on the international market.

By doing the above, the cost for consumers comes right back down and the UK becomes extremely attractive to foreign investors who would consider moving their manufacturing businesses to the UK, due to the comparatively low cost energy - Seeing as we are no longer bounded by EU rules and regulations, we could do this.

What will happen though, is the govt will sit on their hands until it is far too late, with many people ending up on the streets and businesses going bust, before they have this light bulb moment.

We bailed out the banks in 2008 and printed money like it was going out of fashion during the pandemic, this is a no brainer IMO

 

[dunover]

OK, OK - Before I begin I am NOT being funny here or poking fun! I am asking a serious question that I am genuinely puzzled as to the answer.

When we see these memes, articles and photos of food banks, hard-up mothers and families and 'starving' children on the TV news etc. why are they almost always of, shall we say, stout or portly disposition?

I have seen old black and white images from the late 1800's for example of the masses walking through city streets, the men in their jackets and caps and women in voluminous skirts as was the fashion then, children in shorts etc. You could see many 'bandy' legs (caused by rickets aka vitamin D deficiency) and the only ones who weren't thin were the obviously prosperous in their top hats and better-quality clothes.

I am having trouble understanding articles bemoaning food issues such as prices and lack of funds etc. which always seem to feature substantially overweight subjects.

Perhaps there's a social explanation whereby heathier diet is linked to higher education or incomes, I don't know. But something is off here somewhere and I wait in eager anticipation for someone like @ChopleyIOM to enlighten me as to why this visual contradiction occurs.

 

[ChopleyIOM]

OK, OK - Before I begin I am NOT being funny here or poking fun! I am asking a serious question that I am genuinely puzzled as to the answer.

When we see these memes, articles and photos of food banks, hard-up mothers and families and 'starving' children on the TV news etc. why are they almost always of, shall we say, stout or portly disposition?

I have seen old black and white images from the late 1800's for example of the masses walking through city streets, the men in their jackets and caps and women in voluminous skirts as was the fashion then, children in shorts etc. You could see many 'bandy' legs (caused by rickets aka vitamin D deficiency) and the only ones who weren't thin were the obviously prosperous in their top hats and better-quality clothes.

I am having trouble understanding articles bemoaning food issues such as prices and lack of funds etc. which always seem to feature substantially overweight subjects.

Perhaps there's a social explanation whereby heathier diet is linked to higher education or incomes, I don't know. But something is off here somewhere and I wait in eager anticipation for someone like @ChopleyIOM to enlighten me as to why this visual contradiction occurs.

This is a very well understood phenomenon and has been extensively researched and explained, I can't be arsed essentially paraphrasing what others have said far better than I will, so just Google this and have a read.

 

[Webzcas]

OK, OK - Before I begin I am NOT being funny here or poking fun! I am asking a serious question that I am genuinely puzzled as to the answer.

When we see these memes, articles and photos of food banks, hard-up mothers and families and 'starving' children on the TV news etc. why are they almost always of, shall we say, stout or portly disposition?

I have seen old black and white images from the late 1800's for example of the masses walking through city streets, the men in their jackets and caps and women in voluminous skirts as was the fashion then, children in shorts etc. You could see many 'bandy' legs (caused by rickets aka vitamin D deficiency) and the only ones who weren't thin were the obviously prosperous in their top hats and better-quality clothes.

I am having trouble understanding articles bemoaning food issues such as prices and lack of funds etc. which always seem to feature substantially overweight subjects.

Perhaps there's a social explanation whereby heathier diet is linked to higher education or incomes, I don't know. But something is off here somewhere and I wait in eager anticipation for someone like @ChopleyIOM to enlighten me as to why this visual contradiction occurs.

You also raise a good point here. Warning Daily Mail article:

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For someone living on benefits she certainly has champagne tastes when it comes to brands just by going on the contents of the food cupboard.....

 

[mack341]

It should be why are hungry poor people overweight?

If a child has no money or not enough routinely on his school dinner account then they should call the parents in, and you'll probably find sky subscriptions, ciggies, booze, fast food deliveries, mobile phone contracts etc... are getting priority.

If not and better budgeting wouldn't make a difference then of course the child should be considered for free school meals, in my day all the single parent children automatically got free dinner tickets; if two parents can't put aside enough money for a daily school meal or packed lunch then something has gone awry.

Perhaps in the cost of living crisis coming, with the sky high energy bills if you put the heating on, a temporary switch to free or half price meals for all children would be a sensible proposal.

 

[dunover]

You also raise a good point here. Warning Daily Mail article:

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For someone living on benefits she certainly has champagne tastes when it comes to brands just by going on the contents of the food cupboard.....

That's got to be a spoof - for the price of those branded goodies and a single chinky not ordered she could eat pasta, home-cooked veg-based dishes etc. for a whole week for all three of them. I do the shopping for my house, so I know that's true.

Problem is, her kids will be beach balls too and develop health issues at more cost to the taxpayer, that's not counting the mobility scooter we'll have to pay for before she's 45 and the type-2 diabetes treatments, possible stomach shrinking op and treating the open ulcers on her limbs if she reaches her fifties.

Then there's the poor sods who won't be able to sit on the bus as she takes two seats and the cost of the kids' benefits as they'll be too big to work most likely.

Luckily around here seeing people like that is rare but there are quite a lot of them emanating from the estates in other towns when you walk around the town centres. We've got to be fair here and mention the men too; if they have partners the chances are the blokes will look the same, it's almost a form of child abuse allowing kids to be brought up clinically obese. Sad, really is. But as long as we give them more money, @ChopleyIOM will be pleased as it's 'socially responsible'.

Maybe we need some kind of 'workfare' like they tried in the USA. Sort of the Victorian workhouse in reverse, where instead of going to be fed and work as you're destitute, you go to do useful work and get healthy meals while the kids are at school, thus contributing to the economy and getting healthier. To those who say they should be put to work in the fields for their benefits (to assist with food-picking/production which apparently has a labour shortage) it wouldn't work as within 30 minutes the chances are they would collapse or start wheezing and be no good for the task. The process needs to be done gradually. It's the fault of the welfare state that the country has millions of people dependent and have made themselves unfit to work, a double whammy of lifetime welfare and huge costs to the NHS.

The fact is, that woman is a bone-idle fucker who if it can't be pulled out of a packet/can/bottle/box or ordered in, is too lazy to even try cooking something herself as it would encroach in to her TV viewing and snacking time, never mind the kids who are going to suffer later.

Yes, I know it came from the Daily Mail, a paper so full of shit usually there's no point even wiping your backside on it, but there are nevertheless millions like her in the UK, tens of millions in the US.

 

[slot_zombie]

Simple solution, nationalise all companies that have an interest in the North Sea fields. Then ensure all oil and gas is not sold off to the international market, but goes to the domestic UK market at just above cost levels. Any excess then by all means sell on the international market.

Spot on comment, I've been saying this for months - why the fuck are we not using our own resources for our own benefit?

Alternatively, just don't allow the price cap to rise any further. The shite providers that just buy energy on the international markets can sink or swim, those with their paws in lucrative upstream operations like Shell, BG, EDF etc, will just have to "subsidise" their downstream sales with their massive profits, when prices are high. They'll still make bank.