Whether you’re a Nigel Farage fan or not, I’m sure there are a load of people like me who this week are saluting the arch-Brexiteer come broadcaster, for his terrier-like reaction to having his accounts closed by Royal banker Coutts.
Nigel’s determination to get the pound of flesh he felt he deserved when his bank decided to cancel him just because they didn’t like his political views has got me thinking.
Powerful bankers got the chop
If the heads of two powerful bankers must roll for closing a couple of accounts surely, the bloke in charge of a company responsible for gouging a billion quid out of the UK public in a time of economic hardship, deserves the same?
Am I overreacting? I don’t think so. In 2022 under normal conditions Centrica – the parent company of British Gas – made £98 million in profit between January and June. This time around it was £969 million, almost 900% more.
I’m calling ‘b*******s!’
The b******s they’re trying to sell to the public is that this has something to do with the Government’s price cap, and it’s complicated and some kind of one-off. Basically we mere mortals can’t possibly understand why we have to be ripped-off, but we just need to take it.
Well I’m calling ‘b******s’ and the bollocks I’m calling is coming from Jonathan Brearley, CEO of Ofgem, the failing flunky who is supposed to be looking after the public and in the last 6 months has seen British Gas trouser a nine figure fortune!
People are struggling
People are struggling, there’s a cost of living crisis going on, but these corporate vampires think it’s okay to rip people off, just because they can.
I’m not against companies making a decent amount of profit in a fair market, but when you take advantage of your position to charge way over the odds you’re a public enemy.
Two for one deal!
So, in the style of Nigel’s banking scandal, I reckon what we need here is a two for one deal. Heads must roll and it seems to me that Centrica’s CEO Chris O’Shea should walk the corporate plank with Ofgem’s boss Jonathan Brearley.
Maybe Nigel could get on the job, since in my experience (and regret) once he gets his teeth into a fight he tends to come out on top.
