Tuesday, 2 September 2014

Labour`s silver bullet?

With the excellent news that the next Labour government will "revoke the licences" of energy companies which "repeatedly act against the interests of customers", can we please assume that this is merely the tip of a very large iceberg? (Guardian,Labour plan to crack down on abuses by energy firms,21/08/14) After all, are not, in Caroline Flint`s words, "rip-off tactics and poor customer service" at the heart of the "predatory capitalism" which Labour leaders have criticised so vehemently in recent years? Banks, which appear to have mis-selling products and fixing interest rates as key profit-making policies, could certainly be warned of similar consequences, whilst companies intent on avoiding payment of the correct amount of tax, it could be argued, are not acting in the best interests of their customers either. Private landlords, exploiting the shortage of affordable homes to raise rents exponentially, should certainly be treated similarly, as should shops and supermarkets which fail to label food-products accurately. In fact, an extension of the principle to include the "interests of" employees, could mean Labour might have found its "silver bullet"! Why tinker, when it`s more sensible to transform? 

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