[gyre007]

I don’t believe Brits are capable of revolting against this. They did hit the streets in anti-lockdown protests though, which is ironic because in the grand scheme of things that (lockdown) was temporary, but this inflation wave will be madly felt for quite long.

[cirrus-clouds]

Imagine if French citizens were facing energy bills as high as the UK (£5,816, €6850). French citizens would never tolerate such levels.

From Reuters: "France has committed to capping an increase on regulated electricity costs at 4%. To help do this the government has ordered utility EDF (EDF.PA), which is 80% state owned, to sell more cheap nuclear power to rivals"

(Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/europes-efforts-shie...)

[makomk]

France really feels like they're building towards serious trouble in the near future. The gap between the discounted electricity costs paid by consumers and the actual underlying wholesale prices is only widening (to the point I think they may even have the lowest consumer costs and highest wholesale prices in Europe, or at least not far off), and that basically all has to be subsidised by the government using debt. They're also part of the Eurozone which is founded on common agreements on government debt, and they're at twice the debt cap and rising. The general consensus is that they cannot stop doing this without serious civil unrest and likely widespread rioting which seems well founded in past events. Energy prices are not the only problem - they have more generous retirement policies than other countries, for example - but changing those other things is just as intolerable.

[mytailorisrich]

They are finalising the full nationalisation of EDF, their main electricity supplier and owner/operator of their nuclear power plants.

Then, the electricity wholesale price on the open market becomes irrelevant. As long as their set a price that covers their actual costs for their own consumers they are fine and it is sustainable, and certainly does not require any debts since it does not actually cost anything (beyond the cost of buying the remaining 20% of EDF).

[AlexandrB]

Privatizing everything is great when things are going well. When the shit hits the fan it's nice for elected representatives to be able to force essential utilities to lose money.

[M2Ys4U]

Privatise the profits and socialise the losses.

[NickRandom]

Ah, but what many might not grasp about (British) politics is that when the S.H.T.F it is traditional for the UK to vote in the 'other lot' (be that Labour or Conservatives) since the current lot 'are a useless bunch of twats'. This has the advantage of the 'new' government being able to blame all the current problems on the 'old lot'.

Rinse and Repeat ad infinitum

[wesleywt]

The anti-lock down protesters were a fringe group. An energy crisis is different matter. It will not only affect the lunatic fringe, this will affect everyone.

[throwawaythekey]

It would be an interesting case study for leaders around the world - confiscate a huge chunk of liberty and you will have a fringe protest, lose a few thousand pounds from chequebooks and you will have blood.

[happymellon]

I don't think anyone I know here in the UK saw a temporary lockdown as "confiscating a huge chunk of liberty".

On the contrary, we recognise that everyone has a duty to keep everyone else safe, which was especially true during the early pandemic times, when it seemed like it was quite dangerous and Americans ignored it and died in the tens of thousands.

It was when it was observed that we were not in it together that heads rolled.

And it looks like our observations panned out, as we do not have any lockdowns anymore and I don't know of anyone who is still getting sick in a bad way.

[pydry]

The lockdown protests kind or proved to me that while english people are getting angrier overall, they seem to be getting progressively dumber about how they lash out.

I could foresee riots again like the 2010 ones but I doubt it'd do to much change other than lead to some imprisoned people and property damage.

So, unlike, say, the poll tax riots i doubt itll lead to any meaningful British/English political changes.

It may add fuel to Northern Ireland joining Ireland/Scottish independence though.

[philk10]

They hit the streets with the Poll Tax riots