Labour in a Power Vacumn

I am beginning to  think Ed Millibar is hoping for a really heavy winter next year.

The emphasis on Energy Prices by the party is beginning to look like the only weapon they have in thier armoury.

Only yesterday  Wales online reported that  Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the
was in Cardiff to campaign in the capital’s two marginal seats of Cardiff North and Cardiff Central. At the same time, other Shadow Cabinet members were taking their message to other cities across Britain.

Labour manages to have selective amnesia between 1997 and 2010 when it was in power and did little to control the utility companies but now with yearly hikes they clearly believe that Ed Miliband call for a price freeze

She said:

 “We know that people are under real pressure right across the country. Wages have not been going up, but prices really have. So every month people are feeling worse and worse off.
“One of the biggest culprits is energy bills, and the Government’s not doing anything about it. We think they should be freezing bills right now. It’s what we’ve said we’ll do at the time of the election. But actually we also want to put some pressure on the Government because they should be freezing bills now. You shouldn’t have energy bills going up. For people living in Cardiff and across Wales to see energy bills going up by 10% this winter is deeply unfair. That’s why we’re campaigning and trying to get people to sign a petition to put pressure on the energy companies and the Government to do something about it.

 Asked whether the issue of energy prices would be a significant one in the next general election campaign, the Shadow Home Secretary said: 

“I think it’s massive. I was doorknocking in my constituency last weekend. One woman was saying to me she’s switched her heating off altogether and going to bed early because she just can’t afford to pay energy bills. That’s an awful thing for someone to face in the 21st century. I think the Government should do something about it – and if they don’t, they’re just standing up for energy companies, not for people who need help.”

A view clearly expressed by her leader concentrating his  questions to David Cameron at PMQ's recently

Other Party have solutions the Tories seem to believe that making it easier for people to switch between companies but even if the companies are not operating a cartel they seem to be hiking their prices in a similar manner.

Plaid leader Leader Leanne Wood  called for the  setting up a not-for-profit energy company based on the model of Glas Cymru

She  told her party's annual conference that Energy Wales would buy gas and electricity at wholesale prices and sell directly to homes and businesses.

She said surpluses would be split between protecting customers and expanding energy efficiency.

An idea that Liberal Democrat s seem to have given some support to.

But with an approaching General Election I hope we see more policy from Labour in particular.

But as Labour seem to have accepted the  Con/LibDem cuts and make  no statement that they will reverse the harsh welfare "reforms" that the Westminster government have implanted don't hold your breath.

Energy prices seem to be what they hope will propel Ed Miliband into Number Ten 
.

But the public may think that a bribe of a energy freeze for a few years is not enough .