The English Collective of Prostitutes, a ‘trades Union’ for sex workers, is opposed to possible forthcoming legislation because of its potential effects upon a section of society who are already experiencing discrimination in one form or another.

The ECP highlight the difficulties in the housing market faced by many, especially women.

With the increase in interest rates, made by the Bank of England, private tenants face being caught between a rock and a hard place if their landlords mortgage payments are increased. With high inflation already impacting the living standards of many, any increase in the cost of rents is likely to negatively impact in a very serious manner.

The solution to the problem of unaffordable rents, homelessness and sexual coercion is a straightforward one – the abolition of capitalism. With its replacement by a money-free society, where goods and services are produced for use not profit, landlords, along with the exploitative capitalist class, will disappear into history.

‘The government is considering creating a new law to explicitly outlaw so-called “sex for rent” and has issued a “call for evidence”.

The deadline for submissions is 30 June 2023.’

‘The ECP opposes legislation to outlaw “sex for rent” because: 

If a landlord harasses, threatens or coerces any tenant into sex, this is an offence and should be prosecuted under existing criminal laws. It will do nothing to address the housing crisis or help tenants deal with exploitative and abusive landlords It will curtail women’s housing options, pushing women further into housing precarity and homelessness.

Many of us in the ECP were in the situation of providing sex in exchange for low or no rent before, during and after we were also sex workers. For us, the crucial issue is consent. If women want to respond to an advert and enter into this arrangement, that’s up to them. If the landlord is coercive, exploitative, threatening or violent, and therefore committing a criminal offence, he should be prosecuted.

There is a massive housing crisis in the UK exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis, rising poverty, low wages, lack of social housing and property being used for speculation and profiteering rather than to accommodate people

Over 6.5 million people living in substandard housing. Tenants lack the rights they need to stand up to abusive landlords. Women’s homelessness is particularly hidden. Women make up 60% of people in temporary accommodation, and number have almost doubled over the last decade. Migrant and trans women and people of colour, along with mothers and people with disabilities in particular find rents unaffordable and face severe discrimination in the housing market. Almost one in three single mothers (321,000) are in arrears or constantly struggling to keep a roof over their heads.  25% of UK trans people have been homeless at some point.

The new Renters Bill may help but clauses on anti-social behaviour are likely to be used in a discriminatory way. 

Women Against Rape which opposes new “sex for rent” laws comments:

“The government should address the poverty and homelessness that make it harder for women (sex workers or not) to have the power to refuse any unwanted sex? It claims to be protecting women from abusive landlords ring hollow when the rape and other violence women actually report is more often than not dismissed and deprioritised.” 

Any legislation outlawing “sex for rent” will be an occasion for increased surveillance against sex workers. Sex workers face high levels of homelessness and are discriminated against in the housing market. Most sex workers are mothers which compounds that discrimination One young mother living in communal housing – the only rent she could afford – was questioned by police who falsely claimed the housing was unsafe and threatened to take her child if she didn’t move.

https://prostitutescollective.net/action-alert-oppose-legislation-to-outlaw-sex-for-rent/

 Rich people had sort of a bad year in 2022.

The international population of the ultra-wealthy—defined as those worth $30 million or more—shrunk by nearly 4 percent in 2022 Barron’s reported citing an annual report released by Knight Frank. The number of people with that amount of wealth fell by almost 23,000 to 579,625, a figure that included 2,629 billionaires. However, the decline was small considering that 2021 saw a 9 percent increase in the ultra-wealthy population.

The region with the biggest drop in this most fortunate population was Europe, which saw its ultra-wealthy population decrease 8.5 percent. France, Germany, Spain, and other countries experienced double-digit declines. Knight Frank reportedly attributed this to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has led to tumult in financial markets globally.

The report noted that not every region experienced such a decline. Individuals with at least $30 million increased nearly 17 percent in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates due to economic and real estate growth. Although China’s turbulent economy caused a drop in Asia’s overall ultra-wealthy population, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore saw their numbers increase 7 percent to 9 percent.

The U.S. only experienced a 1 percent drop in its own $30 million-plus population. But the world will likely see the population grow dramatically in the future, with Knight Frank’s forecast expecting the global ultra-wealthy population to grow by 28.5 percent through 2027.

Knight Frank also detailed how much an individual’s worth would have to be in 25 countries in order to be considered in that nation’s 1 percent. There was a wide spectrum across the globe: In the United States, a person would need $5.1 million to meet the threshold, while in the Philippines you would need just $57,000. 



As for an even more exclusive financial tier, billionaires appear to be having a pretty good 2023. The Bloomberg Billionaires Index found that the 500 richest people internationally have collectively gained more than $600 billion just this year. Being in the 10-figure club has its perks, it seems.

https://news.yahoo.com/world-ultra-wealthy-population-shrunk-195738251.html

 The UK will have one of the highest inflation rates of any major developed economy this year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported on Wednesday.

According to the forecast, British inflation, which only recently fell to single digits for the first time since last summer, will be higher in 2023 than nearly any G20 member except Argentina and Türkiye.

Although headline inflation in the UK declined to 8.7% in April from 10.1% in March amid cooling energy prices, food inflation has been stubbornly high. Grocery price growth reached 19.1% in April, which is the highest rate in more than 45 years, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The OECD predicted that even as Britain is expected to narrowly avoid a recession in 2023, higher interest rates are likely to dent economic growth and incomes in the coming months.

“The high interest burden on public debt and the recent drop in average debt maturity leave the public finances exposed to movements in bond yields,” the OECD said in its Economic Outlook.

The Paris-based organisation expects the UK’s economy to grow by 0.3% this year and by 1% in 2024. It noted, however, that the forecast includes “significant risks.”

Renewed increases in wholesale energy prices will “further squeeze real incomes given the United Kingdom’s high dependence on natural gas. Faster-than-expected resolution of uncertainty regarding future trade relationships is an upside risk,” the forecast warned.

Responding to the OECD data, UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt admitted that inflation was still “too high,” adding that “we must stick relentlessly to our plan to halve it this year. That is the only long-term way to grow the economy and ease the cost-of-living pressures on families.”

The inflation rate in Britain should average 6.9% by the end of the year, the report concluded.

 It’s reported that, ‘Rishi Sunak is considering plans for supermarkets to introduce price caps on basic products such as bread and milk   (Emphasis by SOYMB)

There are worries about the continued impact of high food prices (!!!) on households as the cost-of-living crisis drags on.’

The BBC was told by the Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, ‘My understanding is the Government is working constructively with supermarkets as to how we address the very real concerns around food inflation and the cost of living.’

 Don’t worry yourself about it Steve. It’s part and parcel of living in a capitalist society. Bit like what the Mayor of London said, terrorist attacks are part and parcel of living in a big city. You got to take the rough with the smooth. I mean, phew, can you imagine what the alternative would be like? You can? No such thing as food inflation and an unaffordable cost of living?

If you’re having trouble envisaging that Steve, go check out the World  Socialist Movement and really learn about the many concerns that capitalism engenders; and why it needs to be replaced tout suite.

Lest you think that Steve, and his ilk, are uncaring, he/they ‘cares’ about businesses. 

Quote: ‘And doing so in a way that is also very mindful to the impact on suppliers.‘Because I think we’ve got to be sighted on the fact that many suppliers – often very small businesses, family-run businesses – are themselves under significant pressure from increased costs. My understanding is this is about having constructive discussions with supermarkets about how we work together – not about any element of compulsion. But it’s also being very sighted on the impact on suppliers and making sure we protect suppliers who themselves face considerable pressures.’ Unquote.

Capitalists care too. Industry figures claimed the introduction of price caps would make little difference to food inflation.

Food inflation ‘was found to be at 19.1 per cent last month, which was only just down from 19.2 per cent in March and close to the highest rate for more than 45 years.’

According to the Sunday Telegraph,  the Prime Minister is now mulling proposals for retailers to introduce voluntary price caps on some essential staples in order to tackle ‘resilient’ food inflation. Such a move would copy action taken in France where stores have struck an agreement with ministers to offer a selection of items at the lowest possible price

Andrew Opie, director of food  and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: ‘This will not make a jot of difference to prices.

‘High food prices are a direct result of the soaring cost of energy, transport, and labour, as well as higher prices paid to food manufacturers and farmers.

‘Yet despite this, the fiercely competitive grocery market in the UK has helped to keep British food among the most affordable of all the large European economies. Supermarkets have always run on very slim margins, especially when compared with other parts of the food supply chain, but profits have fallen significantly in the last year. Even so, retailers continue to invest heavily in lower prices for the future, expanding their affordable food ranges, locking the price of many essentials, and raising pay for staff. As commodity prices drop, many of the costs keeping inflation high are now arising from the muddle of new regulation coming from Government. Rather than recreating 1970s-style price controls, the Government should focus on cutting red tape so that resources can be directed to keeping prices as low as possible.’ (And profits high).

Julian Jessop of the Institute of Economic Affairs warned that price caps on basic food items might backfire. ‘Caps on food prices are at best a pointless gimmick and, at worst, harmful to the very people they are supposed to help,’ he said. Despite hype about ‘greedflation’ driving up food costs, UK supermarkets work on tiny profit margins. While they might be willing to regard some basic foods as ‘loss leaders’ for positive publicity, they may also compensate for price controls by reducing quantity or quality, and by raising prices for ‘uncapped’ goods.It is not even certain that the prices of capped goods would end up lower than if there were no cap. Supermarkets may simply price to the cap, and not cut prices further even if falling costs allowed it.’

Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: ‘It is extraordinary.’ He compared Mr Sunak to ‘a sort of latter-day Edward Heath with price controls’ in reference to the former Conservative PM’s actions in the early 1970s.Fact check: (The Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson introduced the National Board for Prices and Incomes in 1965.)

A Downing Street source told the Sunday Telegraph that plans for French-style price caps in the UK were were at a ‘drawing board’ stage. ‘The pressures are such that we are working with retailers on anything that can be done at their end to bring down prices for consumers,’ they said.

France is currently pursuing an ‘anti-inflation quarter’ and ministers negotiated a deal with most large food retailers at the beginning of March.Supermarket chain Carrefour was among those to subsequently promise a selection of 200 products would remain at fixed prices for three months until 15 June. (What happens then?)

With Mr Sunak reportedly considering a similar agreement with stores in the UK, a Treasury source said: ‘Food inflation is much more resilient and difficult to get rid of than we anticipated.’

On Friday, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt backed further interest rate hikes to calm inflation even if they increase the risk of pushing the UK into recession.

Asked if he was comfortable with the Bank of England acting to bring down inflation even if it could precipitate a recession, Mr Hunt told Sky News: ‘Yes, because in the end inflation is a source of instability.

‘If we want to have prosperity, to grow the economy, to reduce the risk of recession, we have to support the Bank of England in the difficult decisions that they take.’

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12133017/PM-drawing-plans-supermarkets-introduce-price-caps-staples-bread-milk.html

The Guardian asked, “UK inflation: which goods and services have risen most in price?” Using information compiled by the Office for National Statistics it’s article charted the increase in food and other commodities compared with a year ago.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/may/24/uk-inflation-which-goods-and-services-have-risen-most-in-price

An analysis of the ability to provide sufficient food for the world, and the reasons behind mass starvation, provided this relevant conclusion: 

“How is this possible? If agricultural output is already more than sufficient to meet the need of the world’s people why do so many go hungry? It’s because the bulk of food produced today is produced to be sold on a market and so access to it is dependent on purchasing power. If you lack the means to buy food then you are denied it in a market economy. This essentially explains why people go hungry today. They are unable to express enough ‘market demand’ to meet their needs. It’s as simple as that.

If you don’t earn much money you face a serious problem. If the price of food goes up your problem gets even worse. That is why rising food prices translate into more and more people becoming hungry. They might choose to allocate a rising portion of their small budgets to food purchases and a shrinking portion on other things, but there will come a point when this will simply no longer be feasible. Something will have to give. When that happens this often results in an explosion of food riots and violence on the streets that can, and has, toppled governments.”

Robin Cox

Socialist Standard February 2023

https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2023/03/are-we-heading-for-mass-starvation-2023.html

 Statistics from the ministry of water and environment indicate that at least 14 million Ugandans (about 30 per cent of the population) do not have access to clean and safe water services.The revelation was made by the minister for Water and Environment, Mr Sam Cheptoris while presenting the milestones reached by his ministry in ensuring access to water during the first two years of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) manifesto implementation.”It is estimated that 70 percent (33,180,420 people) of the current population have access to clean and safe water services while 30 percent (14,220,000 people) of the population are without access to clean and safe water services,” Mr Cheptoris said during the manifesto week in Kampala on Monday.”Despite the water developments and initiatives by the ministry, there are still about 21,410 villages without any safe and clean water source,” he added.Mr Cheptoris said whereas the ministry is dedicated to extending safe and clean water to all the corners of the country, the current budget allocation does not match with the 3 percent annual population growth.”Land acquisition and the high cost of location of sector infrastructure investments is also a major constraint causing delays in project implementation especially for water supply,” the minister said.However, Mr Cheptoris further noted that the water ministry through the rural water supply department has to date constructed 150,837 water supply facilities comprising of 42,007 deep boreholes, 21,722 shallow wells, 29,261 protected springs, 37,480 Public Stand Post (PSP)/taps and 20,367 rainwater harvesting tanks.Meanwhile, Dr Akankwasa Barirega, the executive director of National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) dismissed allegations that the floods by river Katonga that washed away part of Kampala-Masaka highway were caused by sand mining and rice growing activities in the Lwera wetlands.”I agree that rice growing and sand mining in the Lwera wetlands has got an impact on our environment, but it does not in any way contribute to the increased water volumes of river Katonga,” Dr Akankwas said.According to him, the current floods in various parts of the country, including river Katonga are as a result of the huge quantities of rainfall received around the country.“As a result of precipitation, there is increased water volumes in the upstream areas which have led to floods in the downstream areas,” he added. 

https://www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/top-stories/14-million-ugandans-have-no-access-to-clean-safe-water/ar-AA1bdn60?ocid=windirect&cvid=81aba68099a64587bf01f2a481403dca&ei=52

For centuries, the Arctic’s hostile climate has ensured its status as “one of the very few remaining” unspoiled parts of the world, said Ashok Swain in Gulf News (Dubai). However, it’s also one of the planet’s most resource-rich regions, estimated to hold 13% of the world’s oil (some 90 billion barrels) and 30% of undiscovered natural gas reserves.

It has huge deposits of copper, lithium, nickel, platinum, and rare earth materials used in batteries and electronics, and offers vast potential for producing renewable energy using wind turbines. 

What’s more, the fast-melting ice there is opening up valuable new shipping lanes in the Arctic Sea: “the receding of polar ice may make the Arctic completely free from summer sea ice by 2035”, slashing journey times for vessels carrying goods from Asia to Europe. No wonder, then, that competition to gain access and control of this “yet-to-be-exploited” region is heating up with a vengeance.

Cooperation in the Arctic is meant to be overseen by the Arctic Council, comprising Russia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, the US and Canada, said Ott Ummelas and Danielle Bochove on Bloomberg (New York). But the council’s meetings were paused after Russia (its current chair) invaded Ukraine; and while they are in abeyance, some countries – notably China and Russia itself – are staking their claims to the Arctic more and more assertively, said Didi Tang in The Times. Moscow, which views the Arctic as its backyard, is determined to get its hands on the Arctic’s resources ahead of its Western rivals.

Beijing, which casts itself as a “near-Arctic state”, plans to use nuclear-powered icebreakers to establish a “Silk Road on ice” – a network of routes to cement its global superpower status. And now the two have struck a deal “to protect their strategic interests in the Arctic”. Details of this so-called “maritime law enforcement” agreement are sparse; but we do know that the Kremlin responded to Finland’s recent Nato accession by unveiling plans for “more military outposts in the region, including deepwater ports and airfields”. And in China, it seems to have found a willing partner in such an endeavour.

Beijing certainly has much to gain from this deal, said Dói Ennoson on Finanzmarktwelt (Hamburg). Getting a slice of the Arctic’s natural resources is tempting enough, but even more so is the advantage that opening a sea route along Russia’s north coast, and avoiding the necessity of using the Suez Canal, would give them: it would halve ships’ journey times between Shanghai and Europe.

You’d think Washington would be worried about the Russia/China deal, said Josh Caldon on Centre for International Maritime Security (Washington) – yet in reality, it isn’t that “interested in competing for the Arctic”. That’s because Russia has only a handful of ports that are “free from year-round ice”, while America is blessed with its own natural harbours on both east and west coasts.

And, being aware how high the cost of extraction is in a region that’s dark for half the year, it prefers to let Russia and China do the hard work of adding to the global supply of mineral resources, and let US consumers enjoy the ensuing decrease in price. Besides, now that Russian aggression has prompted Sweden and Finland to petition to join Nato, Washington feels it can rely on its Nato allies to focus on the Arctic. It now prefers to focus its attentions on more profitable domains such as space, cyberspace and the Indo-Pacific.

But what we’re forgetting, said Danielle Bochove on Bloomberg (New York), is the huge impact extracting raw materials is likely to have in a region so “critical to the planet’s climate defences”. The region is already warming “up to four times as fast as the rest of the globe”: loss of vital ice sheets, which slow climate change by reflecting the Sun’s heat, will accelerate this yet further, as will thawing permafrosts, which release CO2 into the atmosphere.

In short, exerting control of the Arctic should be viewed not just through the lens of “exploitation”, but through the lens of “protection”. We all need to be concerned about the development of deep-sea mining in the Arctic.

https://www.theweek.co.uk/news/world-news/960803/under-the-melting-ice-the-race-for-the-arctics-riches?

‘ And it came to pass in the land of Eng that the people were sore pressed and in great need. The harvest was abundant and the earth yielded much fruit yet the people cried out in their need.

For the people of the land of Eng were in bondage to those who owned the land and all that from it flowed. Though the people were given many shekels and had ice boxes and music boxes and picture boxes and oxless wagons, yet were they not content. They strove to bring forth more wealth and to get more shekels yet did their lot remain needy.

And there passed among the multitude certain soothsayers and false prophets that were called Ekonner Mists and Polly Tishuns. With them came the priests. With one voice but with many tongues they spake unto the people and said uhto them, “Verily, you are sad and have much anger but this is the order of things Yahweh has ordained. It is the will of Jehovah. Therefore, rest ye content.”

But the multitude cried out, “We need more homes. We desire good raiment. We hunger for more food. We would have more work that we may gather more shekels and pieces of silver wherewith to purchase these things.”

And the priests raised up their hands and gave unto the people the gospel according to Midas. The Polly Tishuns opened wide their mouths and gave unto the people many promises. The Ekonner Mists brought forward their longest words and their most profound theories and these they rammed into the gullets of the people. And together the Priests, the Polly Tishuns and the Ekonner Mists spake unto the people in unison saying, “Behold, ye are lazy swine. We give unto you the fruits of our learning yet ye heed us not. We offer ye a paradise when ye shall snuff it yet ye are not content. We promise ye all that ye desire yet ye cry out in your impatience. Why waste we our time upon you? Oh, ye of little faith, rest ye content in the station to which Yahweh has called you and get ye on with your work”.

And it happened that a certain Samaritan was a builder of boats and he held in bondage many hewers of wood, drawers of water and welders of steel. And the day came that he walked about the place where his boats were built and he passed among his hewers of wood, his drawers of water and his welders of steel. These he gathered around him and he spake unto them saying, “I have heard your murmurs of discontent, I have seen your women in sorry raiment, I have felt the eyes of your offspring hungry upon me. These things have made my heart to bleed, my eye to water and my stomach to curdle. Therefore I say unto you that though my store of silver is small I will give unto you from my coffers, a bonus of shekels that your children may wax merry, your wives may grow fat and you may disport yourselves in ways that ye have long desired.”

And his hewers of wood, his drawers of water and his welders of steel looked into one another’s faces with amazement. Then they fell on their knees and praised

him. They raised up their voices in a hymn and sang, “Glory be to our Boss for verily he is a jolly good fellow.”

And the Samaritan left them and went out into the market to sell his boats with a glad heart and a full one.

There came unto him in the market certain cunning men from far lands and they asked him, “What take ye for your boats for we would have of them?” And he answered them saying, “I am a Samaritan and I give my bondsmen that they may be happy. Therefore I must raise up the price of my boats to cover my costs and to reap my profit.”

The cunning men from distant lands turned their backs upon him. They smiled at one another and tapped their foreheads with their fingers, saying through their beards, “This man from Eng is daft as a brush” which translated into the language of Eng meant that he was a knut case.

And the cunning men from distant lands went unto the men of the land of Hol and the land of De Gall and the land of Usa for the men from these lands had many boats to sell in the market. And they bought from these men the boats that they needed for the boats were cheaper than those made in the land of Eng.

So, the Samaritan returned home with slow gait and sad mien. He called unto him his hewers of wood, his drawers of water and his welders of steel and he delivered of himself unto them, saying, “I have been a good master unto you. I have given unto you many shekels as a bonus. Now I cannot sell I cannot permit you to make for, if ye make boats that I cannot sell I shall be bent, broke and bust. My wife will turn on me and my concubines will turn from me.”

With a tear in his eye, like unto the tear of a crocodile, he exhorted them in these words. “I must take from you the bonus that I gave. I must call on you to surrender to me those things that ye call restrictive practices though verily I know they are protective practices. For some of you I have news that should tickle your ears and gladden your hearts for I shall free you from your bondage unto me. Ye shall be men that are called Re Dund Ants and you shall wander in the wilderness with no care and no work till some other shall bind you in bondage.”

And there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth among the hewers of wood, the drawers of water and the welders of steel, for they knew not what to do but they ran hither and thither in their bewilderment.

And it came to pass that there rose up among the multitude certain new false prophets who spake to the people thus, “Hearken ye to us for we are as you are, using the same tongue, wearing the same raiment and eating the same viands. The prophets ye have listened to heretofor were fakirs and false prophets. It is laid down that ye must have faith, therefore have ye faith in us. Give unto us your shekels, your votes and your loyalty and will lead you to the promised land.”

And the people gave unto them their shekels and their votes and their loyalty. And they chose Will Sun and Kalla Ghan and Jaw G. Broun to lead them. For they would be led to the land that flows with milk and money.

And Will Sun called unto his disciples and these he led to West Minister. And to them he gave the fruit that is known as the Plum of Office.

From out of the City there came men that are called Bankers and Fynan Seers and they bowed down before Will Sun and they shook in their sandals.

Will Sun raised his hands over them and spake, saying, “Rise up, Rise up. I come not to harass you but to help you. 1 seek not to drive you from your temples but to build ye new and better ones. I will journey into distant lands, to the land of De Gall and to the lands that are of Benny Lux. I will open up a market for you and it shall be called a Common Market. In that market ye shall sell your wares and shall reap much profit that ye may grow even fatter than ye are now fat.

And the men from out the city stood before him, first on one foot and then on the other foot. And they replied to him, “How shall we reap much profit when we must disgorge many shekels to our bondsmen? For they band themselves together in their Unions and they demand of us ever more and more shekels. We shall be ruined.” And they wrung their hands in despair.

Will Sun took from out his mouth the pipe that was part of his image and he said unto them, “Ye of little faith. Ye shall not be ruined. For is it not laid down in the book that the people have chosen me to lead them? From me they will take those things that they would not take from you. I will gather them around me and I will tell them of your fears and your troubles and I will plead with them that they shall not seek to gain more shekels. And if they harken not to my prayers I will compel them. If they heed me not I will cast them into the dungeons that they may reflect on their lot. And Kalla Ghan and Jaw G. Broun shall cast a spell on the multitude with many words that have much sound but little sense and less meaning. And it shall be called The Freeze.” 

The men from the city smiled amongst themselves and were content. They returned to their counting houses and with the setting of the sun they repaired unto their temples to render homage to their gods, Rent, Interest and Profit.

Will Sun and his disciples spoke to the multitude of norms of trade balance and of vetting and of productivity and of restraint and of strength of the shekel and of the freeze. Many of the people nodded their heads and cried “Yea” for they were in fear that it would be thought that they did not understand these things and that they were ignorant.

Many of the people murmured amongst themselves that they liked not the freeze. And one who was called Kuz Inz exhorted them against the freeze, using many words but no deeds so that the people were bewildered, bewitched and bedevilled.

Those that would follow Kuzz Inz were led into a maze from which they could find no way out.

Among the bondsmen there were those who spoke with a new tongue.

They said that the freeze, that the Re Dund Ants and that all the people’s needs were the result of bond slavery. That the bond was a wage contract and that it was therefore a system of wage slavery, wherein men sold their power to labour for shekels to those who lived by profit. They said that faith in false prophets would avail the people nought. They must cast the dust of faith from their feet and give thought to their lot. Bondsmen had nothing to lose but their bondage. The wealth that they needed for themselves they could make for themselves instead of making it for the market. “Put ye not your faith in prophets,” they cried, “have courage in yourselves.”

But many years of bondage had dulled the minds of the people and they were slow to think on these things. The priests put into the fear of Yahweh and Jehovah and of the ghost that is called Holy. The Ekonner Mists put into them the fear of hunger and the loss of their ox-less carts and their ice boxes and their music boxes and their picture boxes and their little brick boxes that looked all alike. The Polly Tishuns put into them the wind up so that they belched exceeding much.

But it shall come to pass that the people shall shake off their torpor and they shall cast out the money lenders from their temples and shall bring down those that exploit them. And there shall be an end to the soothsayers and the priests and the sycophants and those that hand on and those that crawl up.

Then shall it be in the land of Eng and in all other lands that the people shall live a life that is worth living. Each shall give of his effort to the best he is able and shall receive those things that he needs them.

And so be it.’

W.E.Waters

Socialist Standard, June 1967

https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2020/06/blog-post_27.html

https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2020/06/blog-post_27.html

 ‘Great Britain’s energy price cap has fallen to £2,074 a year, but the average household will still pay almost double the rate for their gas and electricity than before costs started to soar.

About 27m households can expect a modest drop in energy bills this summer after the regulator Ofgem lowered the cap on the typical annual dual-fuel tariff to reflect a steep drop in global energy prices over recent months.

From July, when the change takes effect, households will see their average gas and electricity bill fall from the £2,500 a year level set by the government’s energy price guarantee.However, those who struggled to pay their bills over the winter will feel little relief, because government top-ups worth £400 between October to March have come to an end.

Households also face being charged an extra £10 a year on their energy bills from October to bolster the profits of their energy provider, under plans put forward by the regulator alongside the new cap.

Under the new cap, the average energy bill will remain almost double the level seen in October 2021 – when Russia began restricting supplies of gas to Europe in a move that sent wholesale prices soaring. Before the energy crisis, the typical household paid £1,271 a year for gas and electricity.

Households could still face dual-fuel bills above £2,074 if they use more than the typical amount of energy because Ofgem’s cap limits the rate energy suppliers can charge customers for each unit of gas and electricity – not the total bill.

The cap does not offer help to businesses, charities or public sector organisations such as schools, hospitals and care homes. A scheme brought in by the government at the start of April offers eligible businesses a discount on the wholesale price of energy, offering a total of up to £5.5bn of support over a year, far less than the estimated £18bn over six months given out under the previous aid package.

Jonathan Brearley, the chief executive of Ofgem, said: “After a difficult winter for consumers it is encouraging to see signs that the market is stabilising and prices are moving in the right direction.”

“However, we know people are still finding it hard, the cost of living crisis continues and these bills will still be troubling many people up and down the country. Where people are struggling, we urge them to contact their supplier who will be able to offer a range of support, such as payment plans or access to hardship funds,.”

Brearley added that households were “unlikely to see prices return to the levels we saw before the energy crisis” in the medium term. He said it was imperative that government, Ofgem, consumer groups and the wider industry work together to support vulnerable groups.

Simon Francis, a coordinator at the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said: “The sting in the tail to this announcement is that customers are still going to be paying roughly the same for their energy as last winter. And after months of inflation and the wider cost of living crisis, people are even less able to afford these high energy bills.”

Ofgem has proposed increasing the amount of profit suppliers can make from 1.9% to 2.4% to prevent them going bust, because the cost of bailing out a failed supplier would be higher. Under the plan, annual supplier profits would climb from £37 a household to £47.

Under the new cap, the average energy bill will remain almost double the level seen in October 2021 – when Russia began restricting supplies of gas to Europe in a move that sent wholesale prices soaring. Before the energy crisis, the typical household paid £1,271 a year for gas and electricity.

Households could still face dual-fuel bills above £2,074 if they use more than the typical amount of energy because Ofgem’s cap limits the rate energy suppliers can charge customers for each unit of gas and electricity – not the total bill.

Fuel poverty campaigners at National Energy Action have warned that most households are unlikely to feel any better off, and about 6.5m households will remain in fuel poverty despite the lower rate.

Energy experts believe households could face much higher than normal energy bills for years to come, as Russia’s war in Ukraine keeps prices on the global gas markets stubbornly high. Analysts at Cornwall Insight have warned they do not expect bills to return to pre-2020 levels before the end of the decade at the earliest.

Francis called on the government to use the warmer summer months to “fix Britain’s broken energy system” by “ramping up energy efficiency programmes, helping the public with energy debt and reforming energy pricing arrangements so people don’t suffer again this winter”.

Georgia Whitaker, a campaigner for Greenpeace UK, said the winter energy crisis “should have been a wake-up call for the government to deliver the nationwide insulation programme and wholesale switch to cheap, renewable powered heat pumps”.

Grant Shapps, the energy secretary, said : “We’ve spent billions to protect families when prices rose over the winter covering nearly half a typical household’s energy bill – and we’re now seeing costs fall even further with wholesale energy prices down by over two-thirds since their peak.”’

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/may/24/millions-will-still-face-fuel-poverty-despite-ofgem-move-to-cut-energy-price-cap

UK food price inflation remains at the third-highest level since the financial crisis, with the annual rate at which the cost of groceries is increasing at the elevated level of 17.2%, retail industry data shows.

Prices barely eased during the four weeks to 14 May to only marginally below April’s 17.3% figure, according to the latest release from the analytics firm Kantar, representing the third-highest rate of grocery inflation since 2008.

Even though the average cost of four pints of milk has come down by 8p since last month, it remains 30p higher than it was this time last year at £1.60.

Stubbornly high food and drink prices have added an extra £833 a year to shoppers’ bills, Kantar found, unless consumers make changes to their usual habits to try to cut the cost.

More consumers are turning to supermarket own-brand product, a trend also reported in April, in an attempt to keep their bills under control. Sales of the cheapest own-label products soared by 15.2% over the past month, almost double the 8.3% increase for branded products.

Fraser McKevitt, the head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “The drop in grocery price inflation, which is down by 0.1 percentage points on last month’s figure, is without doubt welcome news for shoppers – but it is still incredibly high.”

Shoppers flocked to the discount supermarkets, Aldi and Lidl, as they sought bargains. Aldi became the fastest-growing grocer over the past month as its sales increased by 24%, while sales at Lidl rose by 23.2%.

However, Waitrose benefited from shoppers splashing out on extra treats before the coronation of King Charles. Its sales grew by 4.8%, the highest growth rate it has experienced for more than two years.

Despite the pressure on household budgets, consumers spent an extra £218m on groceries during the week of the coronation, when there was a rise in sales of wine and quiche.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/apr/25/uk-shoppers-own-label-food-price-inflation-price-rises-kantar