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https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/2036747276421370354

Sir Keir Starmer's national security adviser Jonathan Powell has been in talks with Wang Yi, China's foreign minister

They have been talking about the need to 'deepen co-operation in all fields and to effectively manage disputes', Reuters reports

Wang told Powell that 'all parties should avoid adding fuel to the first' on Iran

It is worth noting that we only know about the fact of this visit through the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV

There was no advance notice of the trip or briefing from the government at all

What the actual effing eff?

'Powell doing his job' shocker.

Given the US is no longer an ally and is now a corrupt malign administration we need to stop moralising about closer links with China .

Cuddle a commie? No thanks

.

As I’ve said continuously I’m fully supportive of more North Sea oil drilling but I think the idea it would have any impact on energy bills is thin.

Why are supportive of opening up new fields when the vast majority of experts say no? What do you know they don’t?

https://theconversation.com/would-more-north-sea-drilling-lower-uk-energy-bills-our-analysis-says-no-278467

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67945281

https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-would-opening-up-north-sea-oil-again-resolve-the-current-energy-price-problems-for-the-uk

Kemi and her front bench team are going to have to u-turn on this, so they are in future backed up by the science and the facts in what they are claiming.

No they don't.
They say it won't change oil and gas prices, which it won't.

As a matter of economics, it will earn the country money, and won't make any difference at all to our oil and gas consumption.

We could even put the £2bn or so extra that government might earn into solar plus grid backup projects.

So there is no good argument not to do it.

As I’ve said continuously I’m fully supportive of more North Sea oil drilling but I think the idea it would have any impact on energy bills is thin.

I don't think it would have any impact given it is a global market. However, the additional tax revenue generated could be used to support a subsidy or, perhaps more usefully, the push to renewables.

If the Straight of Hormuz remains closed for any length of time, the price is irrelevant compared to the ability to actually supply the stuff. The problem isn’t about to be the price of oil, it’s about to be the supply of oil.

Except for me, I’m expecting petrol prices in the sandpit to fall significantly next month, from the current 50p/litre.