Scottish Greens: Use energy profits to bring down fuel bills
Commenting on reports that Shell and Centrica, the owner of British Gas, have recorded billions of pounds in part year profits, Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer said:
“Shell and Centrica are laughing all the way to the bank while households across the country are terrified about the looming energy price rises due to hit us in October and January.
“It is simply disgusting that the UK Government lets these energy giants funnel billions of pounds to shareholders at a point when there is a real risk that even more people will freeze to death in their homes this winter due to soaring bills.
“If Westminster actually functioned to serve the interests of ordinary people rather than corporations and the ultra-rich, it would put in place comprehensive measures to collect these record profits through tax, and then use that money to help families pay their bills. That should be a first step towards total reform of our energy systems, bringing them back into public ownership and removing private profit completely.
“Instead of taking the steps needed though, the Tories have a pathetically weak imitation of a windfall tax which has more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese and allows companies to avoid paying by increasing the amount of climate-wrecking fossil fuels they drill for.
“Scotland is an energy-rich nation, with masses of cheap renewable energy waiting to be tapped. It is simply astonishing that the UK Government has let this situation arise and demonstrates exactly why we must put Scotland’s future into Scotland’s hands by becoming an independent European country.”