While there is panic over the fishing rights surrender the EU-UK deal features significant alignment on carbon pricing. The key points as agreed by Starmer and the EU are:
Guido spoke to independent energy consultant Kathryn Porter who sounded the alarm over higher prices:
“Since Keir Starmer announced his intention to harmonise the UK and EU ETS, UK carbon prices have increased significantly. Full harmonisation could end up adding more than £200 million per year to electricity bills.
UK carbon prices have been lower as a result of a surplus of allowances due to de-industrialisation. It’s hard to see how we will benefit from harmonisation. The “level playing field” sounds like a mechanism to remove the UK allowances surplus with no benefits to UK consumers.“
Within the EU prices are currently roughly £10/ptCO2 higher than here. ‘Savings’ spin from Starmer and the EU is centred on the introduction of the bloc’s carbon border tariffs next year. In essence energy costs are being immediately hiked for the UK in return for a future tariff reduction – even on those who don’t export to the EU – while the UK also agrees to take EU rules, ECJ jurisdiction, and pay the EU for the pleasure. The EU will further decide who in the UK is exempt from its hiked carbon pricing. Got all that?
The Institute of Economic Affairs’ energy analyst Andy Mayer adds: “The smarter strategy would be to retain control of our own carbon policy, and cut it drastically to compete with the EU, encouraging jobs and growth, including in low carbon technologies also impacted by high energy prices.” Not one for the Labour Rejoin cabal…
Speaking about the Metropolitan Police, Nigel Farage told a press conference in London:
“Giuliani didn’t abolish the NYPD. He changed the leadership. He put those into positions of authority that shared his vision of the broken windows theory of dealing with crime from the bottom up. That’s what you have to do. So, I would suggest that rather than scrapping it, we need to find the right people in the right position.”