THERE’S about to be a run on salt stocks, given that the electorate are taking more than a pinch of the stuff as they examine the competing offers of the politicians anxious to secure their votes.
Especially when you remember that in some parts of Scotland – thanks to an old deal based on proximity to supply – lots of Scots have to pay more to keep the lights on than their cousins in England’s deep south.Not that we can really claim bragging rights in the matter of doing energy deals either. By common consent, the ScotWind auctions of 2022 and subsequently, brought the Scottish Government relative washers compared with what the –usually foreign – owners got for their capped investment.
Some seven companies had to be taken into public ownership – the owner of last resort! I doubt Scots have taken to the streets to hail rail nationalisation in Scotland, but at least we own the bloody thing, and we run it. A bit of a useful metaphor forfound that a lot of supporters – not to mention candidates – turned out to be fair-weather friends. And their friends never were much for having the rain affect their bank balances.
Yet bizarre as our election capers must seem to folk looking on, in the matter of true craziness, we must bow to our friends over the pond. Not any more. It will be four years come January 6 since a bunch of hoodlums stormed their mother of parliaments, blessed by their then-president, who watched approvingly as Congress almost fell to “his people”.