Electricity switch

Bruce D Skivington (Letters, 18 April) correctly states that most of the UK’s nationalised heavy industry was uncompetitive by the 1960s and so needed to be sold off.

However, the Thatcher government went further and sold off public utilities, especially the statutory undertakers charged with providing reliable services.

In particular the electricity supply industry was not uncompetitive; it was reasonably efficient and reliable and would not have allowed the present renewables fiasco or the 
dithering over nuclear power, both of which could lead to blackouts.

Power networks should not be in private hands; as state 
assets they should be owned and operated by the state.

Steuart Campbell

Dovecot Loan

Edinburgh

The UK government has 
allowed foreign energy companies to dominate our electricity supplies.

No wonder prices are rising.

Now it has been revealed that energy giant NPower has paid no UK corporation tax for three years despite making £766 million in profits.

It would be interesting to find out what the other foreign-owned energy companies have paid or rather not paid.

NPower is also building wind farms to reap the eye-watering UK subsidies using foreign steel, foreign engineers and foreign labour.

Do the directors or these workers pay UK tax? What about the foreign shareholders?

It’s time to get tough on 
these “tax havens” by threatening nationalisation unless 
they all pay a proper share of UK tax.

Clark Cross

Springfield Road

Linlithgow