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Samizdata quote of the day – Rycroft Review cannot ignore Russian influence over UK energy policy The Rycroft Review comes as the Head of MI6 has also warned about Russian propaganda and influence operations that “crack open and exploit fractures within societies.”
But if the review only confines itself to elections, party finance and overt corruption, it will miss one of the most consequential forms of foreign influence in recent decades: sustained Russian attempts to shape UK energy markets and energy policymaking.
It is now unarguable that decisions taken by ministers in the mid-2000s and 2010s left Britain dangerously exposed when gas prices surged in 2021–22. During this period, there were live debates on core questions of energy security: the future of strategic gas storage at Rough (closed down in 2017), nuclear policy, maximising recovery in the North Sea following the Wood Review (2013), the 2015 decision to end coal-fired generation, and the failure to develop UK shale gas. Through a combination of indecision and damaging policy choices, Britain’s exposure to international gas markets increased sharply.
– Maurice Cousins
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If there was any meaningful Russian influence on these policy changes (which I seriously doubt), they are dwarfed by the doctrinaire push by both parties to appear Greener than anyone else, by the phantasm of Green jobs, by the overweening influence of the UN, COP, Al Gore, Old Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all.
If you want my 18 year old son to risk his life fighting against the apparently terrible threat that VV Putin is slavering to conquer the whole of Western Europe, you’ll have to do better than that.
In other words, pull the other one it’s got bells on.
If one listens to these people, or to the USA Democrats, Russia is already in charge of everything, everywhere. Its powers are awesome and globally ubiquitous. We may as well start learning the language.
Or . . . or . . . . Putin is certainly scum, and provides the boogieman that lying governments need.
TJ – Putin is an old KGB hand. He may be rusty on operational techniques by now, but he undoubtedly retains the mindset. It would be astonishing if he wasn’t using his agents of influence to the maximum extent he can. That said, he is as you point out pushing on an open door.
The Green agenda of running down UK energy production and replying on unreliables certainly serves Russia’s aims
Even the author is careful to state that he has no evidence whatever for what he is alleging.
First paragraph of a BBC article:
Surely the bigger issue is that a House of Commons that was at the time extremely polarised about Brexit pushed through the net zero stuff without a vote because barely anyone objected to it.
Sure, but not primarily because we are inundated with Russian agents, but rather that our home grown Communist Quislings are doing the job for them, mostly for free.
Think Ed Milipede is a paid-for Russian agent? Nope. He’s screwing the country with his Greenist Net Zero stupidity for his own idealogical shits-and-giggles.
That it helps out the Kremlin is just a bonus. Remember who’s son he is.
Perry – Britain destroying itself with high energy costs may serve the aims of Mr Putin, but the idea that he is behind “Net Zero” is absurd – although he may well cheer it on (whilst trying not to laugh – at least not publicly).
The main enemy of the West – is its own institutions, not “just” on energy costs – on everything.
Mr Putin may laugh – but he is NOT giving orders to Ed Miliband, His Majesty King Charles the III, and so on.
Indeed this insane agenda goes back long before Mr Putin came into office.
Even in 1992, the Rio Conference, the anti Carbon Dioxide excuse for world “governance” was already well established – it goes back years before 1992.
As does the plan to “redistribute” income and wealth away from Westerners.
Martin – yes Parliament was, sadly (tragically), shown to be a puppet body even as far back as 2010.
The Equality Act, the Environment Act, and so on.
Hardly anyone was voting against incredibly radical pieces of legislation. Indeed it was almost impossible to vote against such things – officials would have treated people who voted against these things as monsters – and the media would have declared them monsters, and their own political parties would not have defended them (quite the contrary).
Blaming Mr Putin for the state of Parliament (whether in 2025 or in 2010) is utterly absurd.
Most likely the real agenda is to say that people voted for independence from the European Union in 2016 (not that independence actually happened – we got almost meaningless “Brexit” instead of independence) because of the propaganda of Mr Putin.
Expect MI6 to issue a “bombshell report”, “proving” this.
In 2016 “ex” MI6 officers were busy pushing disinformation (lies) about Donald John Trump – lies that formed the basis for the “investigations” of the following years.
A good rule of thumb is as follows…..
If something comes from a British institution, even a supposedly a non political one such as the “Met Office” (which rigs temperature statistics – in order to push a political and cultural agenda), it is best to assume it is a lie – at least to not trust it.
Remember there has been a mass electorate since the Act of 1867 – it is not possible to get the voters into a hall and talk with them (explain matters to them), because there are a vast number of voters. And most of the voters, after 1867, did not pay Income Tax – which had become the main source of government income, so they (mistakenly) could be told that government spending could be increased without the cost of it falling on them (most voters) – that is mistaken, because all taxes are passed on, but the idea of non Income Tax payers not bearing the burden seemed plausible – even though, in the end, it is NOT true.
Also, since 1911, being a Member of Parliament is a JOB – lose your seat, and you lose your income (and since the insane Trade Union Acts of 1875 and 1906 – the unions were in a position to “sponsor” Members of Parliament, which, for some reason, is not considered a corrupt practice).
So do not expect many Members of Parliament to stand up for principles that the education system and the media (and so on), are likely to attack.
Remember the Covid “inquiry”.
No denouncing of the failure to use effective Early Treatments – which did exist and could have saved most of the people who died.
No denouncing of the, incredibly harmful, “lockdowns” – indeed the “inquiry” has said the lockdowns should have been even worse.
No denouncing of the toxic Covid “vaccines” – which were, and are, not vaccines at all.
Was Mr Putin in charge of British (or international) Covid policy?
Was he in charge of the, despicable, “inquiry”?
Mr Putin may indeed be an enemy of the United Kingdom and of the West generally – but he is not the main enemy.
The main enemy of the West (of Western civilization) is the institutions – the Western institutions, most certainly in the United Kingdom.
@Perry de Havilland (Prague)
The Green agenda of running down UK energy production and replying on unreliables certainly serves Russia’s aims
Certainly, though I think it is more in the category of “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake”.
It is, for example, hard to believe that Germany, while condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and supporting Ukraine in their defense, was at the very same time funding that same invasion by buying massive amounts of hydrocarbons from Russia.
The Green agenda of running down UK energy production and replying on unreliables certainly serves Russia’s aims
There is no doubt that Russia tries to spread all possible kinds disinformation and propaganda. That is what Russia, *and all other governments in the world*, are doing routinely, and have always done. That is not news, and not peculiar to Putin.
But, on the subject of climate change and “green energy” (i.e. – energy poverty) Putin has always called it nonsense and derided the West’s obsession with this idiocy.
Ed “Windy” Milliband is a vile scrote.
Note the failure of his much vaunted schemes to turn Britain into a “Green Powerhouse”. Things like British Volt (Li batteries) and attempts to get rare earth refining going around Teeside (so we can make our own wind turbines) failed largely because these are energy intensive industries and the companies couldn’t afford the ‘lecky bills. It is the sort of plotline you’d think was lifted from “Yes, Minister”. BTW Maggie T loved that show. Although possibly more as a documentary than a comedy.
This one tale of Net Zero woe should damn Milliband to the fires of Hell for all eternity (assuming Putin doesn’t turn the gas off).
Funny, in a topical way . . .
https://x.com/MyLordBebo/status/2003417580753793197
(Blame Putin!)
bobby b
Yes – Mr Putin is perfect for them (for the international establishment – especially the branch of it that controls the United Kingdom) – Mr Putin really is an evil man, so if one says the obvious “X has got nothing to do with Putin” – they can reply “you support Putin! you support a murderer!”
Any further discussion, trying to explain the real cause of whatever it is, is replied to by “you are supporting someone who had people murdered all over the world – and who invaded Ukraine!” – when one is NOT supporting Mr Putin at all.
The other stand by is “greed”.
For example, the left teach that energy prices are not high because of Green taxes and regulations – no, it is “greed” that is to blame.
Way back in the 16th century, John Hales denied that debasement had anything to do with rising prices.
No, it was “greed” that was to blame.
Before anyone points it out – yes I am aware that “Lord Bebo” works (indirectly) for Moscow. And is now busy with the “Trump-Epstein” smear campaign – where Moscow is backing the “mainstream” (the international establishment) in order to undermine the Administration with a campaign of lies – Moscow benefits from chaos and has no real friends in the West (right or left) – just people it uses.
But it the Devil himself said that 1+1=2, I would not pretend that it does not.