Why is the UK struggling more than other countries?

[Andrew65]

4 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Generally what I see from debunkers like yourself is someone living 10 years in the past. The cost of solar and wind energy has plummeted. Even before the recent spike in prices of fossil fuels, back in the day when coal and gas prices were depressed, solar and wind had made coal uneconomical and was doing the same to gas peaker plants. In fact, the Levelized Cost of Energy is cheaper for a new solar plant than it is to run an existing coal powered plant. And now cheap storage methods are coming online which means further reductions in the cost of solar and wind. Offshore wind power is actually lessening the rise in utility bills in the UK.

Solar power is only marginally effective in the UK mainly because of our crappy weather. An old friend from Seattle, USA said they had similar weather, similar latitude, and a similar problem there.

[placeholder]

On 11/12/2022 at 8:32 PM, Andrew65 said:

Solar power is only marginally effective in the UK mainly because of our crappy weather. An old friend from Seattle, USA said they had similar weather, similar latitude, and a similar problem there.

You and your friend are both living in the past. Solar cells are far more efficent than they used to be

Electricity generated from wind and solar is 30-50% cheaper than previously thought, according to newly published UK government figures.

The new estimates of the “levelised cost” of electricity, published this week by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), show that renewables are much cheaper than expected in the previous iteration of the report, published in 2016.

The previously published version had, in turn, already trimmed the cost of wind and solar by up to 30%. As a result, electricity from onshore wind or solar could be supplied in 2025 at half the cost of gas-fired power, the new estimates suggest.

The new report is the government’s first public admission of the dramatic reductions in renewable costs in recent years. It had previously carried out internal updates to its cost estimates, in both 2018 and 2019, but these were never published despite repeated questions in parliament.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/wind-and-solar-are-30-50-cheaper-than-thought-admits-uk-government/

[Andrew65]

23 hours ago, placeholder said:

You and your friend are both living in the past. Solar cells are far more efficent than they used to be

Electricity generated from wind and solar is 30-50% cheaper than previously thought, according to newly published UK government figures.

The new estimates of the “levelised cost” of electricity, published this week by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), show that renewables are much cheaper than expected in the previous iteration of the report, published in 2016.

The previously published version had, in turn, already trimmed the cost of wind and solar by up to 30%. As a result, electricity from onshore wind or solar could be supplied in 2025 at half the cost of gas-fired power, the new estimates suggest.

The new report is the government’s first public admission of the dramatic reductions in renewable costs in recent years. It had previously carried out internal updates to its cost estimates, in both 2018 and 2019, but these were never published despite repeated questions in parliament.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/wind-and-solar-are-30-50-cheaper-than-thought-admits-uk-government/

Wind power will be good in the UK, but no amount of tech can change the amount or intensity of the sunlight we get in the UK. According to this map it's about one third of what Australia, the M E etc get.

https://www.altestore.com/diy-solar-resources/solar-insolation-map-world/

Britain is in the blue/green area, not the deep red/brown area.

Where I live in Worcestershire it was overcast and gloomy all day yesterday.

[placeholder]

3 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

Wind power will be good in the UK, but no amount of tech can change the amount or intensity of the sunlight we get in the UK. According to this map it's about one third of what Australia, the M E etc get.

https://www.altestore.com/diy-solar-resources/solar-insolation-map-world/

Where I live in Worcestershire it was overcast and gloomy all day yesterday.

Just because it's a third, that doesn't mean it doesn't make economic sense. The cost of solar cells has plummeted by 90% in the last ten years.

And even a reluctant conservative government report admitted that solar made sense for the UK.

 

 

[Andrew65]

1 minute ago, placeholder said:

Just because it's a third, that doesn't mean it doesn't make economic sense. The cost of solar cells has plummeted by 90% in the last ten years.

And even a reluctant conservative government report admitted that solar made sense for the UK.

 

 

Sunlit uplands!?????

[placeholder]

2 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

Sunlit uplands!?????

I got surprising news for you. Solar cells still generate power on cloudy days.

[Mac Mickmanus]

5 minutes ago, placeholder said:

I got surprising news for you. Solar cells still generate power on cloudy days.

Yes, but solar panels do not produce as much energy on cloudy days , they still work to a certain extent , but productivity is reduced 

[placeholder]

3 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Yes, but solar panels do not produce as much energy on cloudy days , they still work to a certain extent , but productivity is reduced 

But the question is do they produce enough energy to be economically sensible in the UK. The UK govt study gave that an affirmative.

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, placeholder said:

But the question is do they produce enough energy to be economically sensible in the UK. The UK govt study gave that an affirmative.

My question was whether there's enough sunlight in the UK to produce enough energy to provide 

[placeholder]

3 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

My question was whether there's enough sunlight in the UK to produce enough energy to provide 

And a UK government study said there was.

[kickstart]

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

People danced in the streets when Thatcher died.

We've been poorly served by politicians for decades, but if we will insist on humiliating anyone that does serve, is it any wonder only the second rate consider being politicians?

Shooting, ourselves, and feet come to mind.

What Thatcher did was needed ,she shut down coal mines ,steel mills ,about ended the car industry ,all these  industries were underinvested ,unions ruled the roost ,just money eating dinosaurs.

When she was elected I was paying 15% on a mortgage , inflation was15-20 % when Major took over I was paying 3% on my mortgage.

 

As for the OP's Q, the NHS is a big problem ,in time someone  grabs the bull by the horns and  do away with the NHS and have an insurance based system,it is just a black hole.

And Covid, what about Dominic Cumming's Test and Trace system  that did nothing what was it , 56 billion pounds down the drain, plus other wasted money .

Not even started on Brexit.

And the budget next week ,that will bad news ,the Uk will be going in to resection .

And will they still persist  on 3% of GDP spending on defence ,just so the UK can sit at the world's  top table .

[DezLez]

48 minutes ago, kickstart said:

What Thatcher did was needed

I agree 100%!

It is a pity the Scargill's of this world just cannot accept the good she did for the UK!

[Mac Mickmanus]

9 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

People danced in the streets when Thatcher died.

We've been poorly served by politicians for decades, but if we will insist on humiliating anyone that does serve, is it any wonder only the second rate consider being politicians?

Shooting, ourselves, and feet come to mind.

The Poll tax , the thing that ultimately caused her demise , wasn't such a bad idea after all .

  Each person pays their share , instead of households paying their share .

   A house full of five working people pays the same council tax as a single person living in a house , which means single people in a household pay five times as much as the five people individually .

   The poll tax was much fairer 

[DezLez]

1 hour ago, Andrew65 said:

Solar power is only marginally effective in the UK mainly because of our crappy weather.

What "crappy weather"?  More a crappy statement by you!

 

As a result of the gulf stream the UK does not have the extremes of the rest of Europe and due to size of the UK/US you cannot compare the UK weather to the US weather!

 

 

 

[pacovl46]

They wanted out and now they reap the consequences! No sympathy on my part whatsoever! 

[DezLez]

1 minute ago, pacovl46 said:

They wanted out and now they reap the consequences! No sympathy on my part whatsoever! 

What consequences?

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

They wanted out and now they reap the consequences! No sympathy on my part whatsoever! 

It isn't Brexit that is causing the current difficulties though 

[DezLez]

1 hour ago, Andrew65 said:

Seattle, USA said they had similar weather, similar latitude

Which is south of the isle of Wight!

[roo860]

1 hour ago, Andrew65 said:

Wind power will be good in the UK, but no amount of tech can change the amount or intensity of the sunlight we get in the UK. According to this map it's about one third of what Australia, the M E etc get.

https://www.altestore.com/diy-solar-resources/solar-insolation-map-world/

Britain is in the blue/green area, not the deep red/brown area.

Where I live in Worcestershire it was overcast and gloomy all day yesterday.

Worcestershire is pretty gloomy, period.

[Chomper Higgot]

5 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

https://trans.info/en/uk-government-confirms-trucker-visa-scheme-as-desperate-letter-is-sent-to-former-hgv-drivers-255930

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/08/23/truc-a23.html

Thank you for evidence of lorry driver shortages being a cause of critical supply chain problems impacting the the UK economy.

 

A Facebook group of guys saying they are not happy is not evidence of anything other than a Facebook group of guys saying they are not happy.

[Bluespunk]

18 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

The Poll tax , the thing that ultimately caused her demise , wasn't such a bad idea after all .

  Each person pays their share , instead of households paying their share .

   A house full of five working people pays the same council tax as a single person living in a house , which means single people in a household pay five times as much as the five people individually .

   The poll tax was much fairer 

You don’t understand how the poll tax was supposed to work do you?
 

Council rates previously were based upon house value, so people living in bigger houses paid more.

 

The poll tax meant irrespective of wealth all paid the same.
 

This meant people on low incomes suddenly had to pay more, especially if there were more than one adult living in a house, and those who had greater wealth paid less.

 

What thatcher failed to grasp was many of those who were now expected to pay more were tory voters and turned against the party. Politically the poll tax was a disaster and many refused to pay it (I personally moved house a lot for two years-harder to track you that way). 

 

I’ve posted a link that helps explain why it was a disaster and funnily enough also refers to five adults in one house as did you in your post…

 

https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/history/modern-britain/poll-tax/

[Chomper Higgot]

15 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

The Poll tax , the thing that ultimately caused her demise , wasn't such a bad idea after all .

  Each person pays their share , instead of households paying their share .

   A house full of five working people pays the same council tax as a single person living in a house , which means single people in a household pay five times as much as the five people individually .

   The poll tax was much fairer 

A person in a one bedroom bed sit pays the same tax as a person in a mansion….. that poll tax!

 

Or are you on about the first poll tax that gave rise to riots in the Middle Ages?

 

 

https://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/revolt-story-englands-first-protest/

[Chomper Higgot]

17 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

It isn't Brexit that is causing the current difficulties though 

You are correct, well insomuch as it’s not only Brexit.

 

But Brexit is a significant factor in the problems the UK economy is facing right now and until Brexit is reversed.

 

(Take note, there is no free trade deal with the US on the horizon and certainly no sight of sunny uplands on which to graze those Brexit unicorns).

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, kickstart said:

What Thatcher did was needed ,she shut down coal mines ,steel mills ,about ended the car industry ,all these  industries were underinvested ,unions ruled the roost ,just money eating dinosaurs.

When she was elected I was paying 15% on a mortgage , inflation was15-20 % when Major took over I was paying 3% on my mortgage.

 

As for the OP's Q, the NHS is a big problem ,in time someone  grabs the bull by the horns and  do away with the NHS and have an insurance based system,it is just a black hole.

And Covid, what about Dominic Cumming's Test and Trace system  that did nothing what was it , 56 billion pounds down the drain, plus other wasted money .

Not even started on Brexit.

And the budget next week ,that will bad news ,the Uk will be going in to resection .

And will they still persist  on 3% of GDP spending on defence ,just so the UK can sit at the world's  top table .

The people telling you the NHS is a black hole are the same people who sold Brexit to the nation.

[Andrew65]

31 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Thank you for evidence of lorry driver shortages being a cause of critical supply chain problems impacting the the UK economy.

 

A Facebook group of guys saying they are not happy is not evidence of anything other than a Facebook group of guys saying they are not happy.

As I think I mentioned, the biggest single issue 'influencing' people to vote for Brexit was a perception that immigration to the UK was too high. Currently there are 10 million foreign-born people living in the UK.

[KhaoNiaw]

55 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

As I think I mentioned, the biggest single issue 'influencing' people to vote for Brexit was a perception that immigration to the UK was too high. Currently there are 10 million foreign-born people living in the UK.

Yes. Including both of the current Home Secretary's parents. 

[Andrew65]

4 minutes ago, KhaoNiaw said:

Yes. Including both of the current Home Secretary's parents. 

I'm aware of that.

[Scott]

Post and reply removed.

 

[nauseus]

12 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

A lot of North Sea oil money was used to pay the 3.5 million unemployed in the early 80's. Many people go on about how Mrs Thatcher stuck it to the unions, without recognising that this was also when British industry started to disappear.

(Germany has some of the biggest and stronest unions in the world, at the same time as having some of the biggest and strongest industry in the world).

British industry started to disappear well before Thatcher .

[hotchilli]

22 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Easy. They stopped making things that people want to buy and went for the "financial" markets, whatever they may be.

Also, they let in loads of people that contribute nothing to the country, but suck the economy like leeches.

 

Wasted north sea oil. They should have been like Norway.

 

Keep throwing money at the NHS instead of making it only about what it was supposed to do. Gordon Brown wasted 6 billion quid on it. Sacking 70% of the managers would be a good start.

 

Apparently 3 generations living on the dole up north.

 

Tony Blair and joining the US war in Iraq.

 

The mistakes of the past are coming back to bite them on the bum.

You have an excellent memory... 3 decades of inept politicians and political ideals that have culminated in the UK's downfall.

Welfare handouts to those who chose to become asylum seekers and contribute nothing to the country except breeding the next generation of beggars.

Should have stopped that years ago.

The loss of manufacturing masters to become financial players was a big mistake.

Brexit was the final straw.