Gordon Brown is likely to be ignored – even if his ideas are what we need

The ex-prime minister has sat down and considered the reality that many households and businesses face ruination this winter, writes Chris Blackhurst

How we miss a statesman, thinker and pragmatist such as Brown (Getty)

Thank goodness for Gordon Brown.

It’s taken an intervention by the former Labour prime minister to highlight the sheer poverty of ideas of this current government and the two Tory leadership contenders.

One is dealing with the present; the other is meandering along, spouting boosterism and empty rhetoric. No prizes for guessing which is which.

But how we miss a statesman, thinker and pragmatist such as Brown. Of course, he is from the left so anything he says bears some hallmarks of socialism. To dismiss him out of hand, however, as many Tories have done, just shows where we presently are, that yah-boo politics rules.

Brown has sat down and considered the reality that many households and let us not forget, businesses, face ruination this winter as soaring energy costs kick in. His solution is that those fuel suppliers who will not lower their bills should be temporarily nationalised. Increases in the energy cap ought to be curtailed, and instead, rather than require consumers to pay more, the companies, several of which are enjoying bumper profits, must be made to curb their greed and respond to their customers’ needs, or else.

He’s not saying they will be taken into public ownership, come what may. They are being given a choice: do something, which to many people seems perfectly decent and honourable, and if you don’t, then the state takes you over. Neither is Brown issuing a decree that they can’t make money; he is merely saying they can’t make as much money, which is entirely different.

Honestly, though, you could be forgiven for imagining he’d proposed marching into their premises and changing the locks, such has been the level of opposition.

Here’s John Redwood: “Gordon Brown lost us a lot of money on buying shares in RBS. Now he wants to do the same with power companies. Nationalising them will not produce any new supply. They will still have to pay high market prices to buy in energy. It just means higher taxes to pay the losses.”

Reading this, prompts the question for the veteran right-wing MP: what would you have done in 2008? Would Redwood have sat back and watched Royal Bank of Scotland go under, would he have refused to bail out the beleaguered banks?

There is a parallel with what occurred in 2008 with today: then it was the careless ambition and disregard of the banks that brought them down. They reused to contemplate the consequences of their behaviour, certainly where ordinary folks were concerned. Now, in 2022, it’s the little people who again are on the end of what is unfolding. The power companies could assist them, but choose not to.

His suggestion is a reasonable response to far from usual circumstances. Unfortunately, this crop of Conservative rulers and would-be rulers do not do reasonable

Back in the banking crisis, despite what Redwood implies, there was no way on earth that Brown wanted the taxpayer to own RBS and the rest. It was the last thing the prime minister desired, but along with Alistair Darling, the chancellor, he had no choice.

It’s not as if the Tories have announced an initiative that will make a serious difference in the coming months. Desperate not to impose a full windfall tax, a move they regard as anathema – conveniently ignoring the previous Conservative administrations, including the one led by their icon, Margaret Thatcher, that did target surpluses in various sectors – the best they can come up with is a commitment to invest in renewable energy.

That, we’re told, was the purpose and outcome of this week’s Downing Street summit between ministers and fuel bosses. Boris Johnson himself attended, we’re informed, a sure sign apparently that he and his colleagues mean business.

While it’s true that any involvement by Johnson these days in anything concerning the operation of his government is rare, it appears nevertheless, as with so much concerning his premiership, that it was more for show than substance.

Rather than tell the chiefs in no uncertain terms how they can assist their public in dealing with an immediate issue, they focused on green investments further down the line. Yes, it’s vital that Britain secures its energy supplies and is not reliant upon imports from Russia. Yes, in time as those renewables come on stream, prices should be more stable and not subject to the sharp spikes we’re witnessing.

That’s all to the good, and Johnson and co deserve praise for at least obliging the industry’s leaders to reorder their priorities and commit greater resources towards developing alternative, domestic sources.

But delivering increased cash to eco-fuels is for the future. It won’t help alleviate those demands for payment that will be hitting homes in the next few months. The now, right here and now, is how to alleviate that suffering, to reduce their impact.

One obvious quick move would be a windfall tax but, as I say, despite other Tory governments having done the same, this one starts swinging garlic and waving a crucifix whenever such a ploy is mooted.

Failing that, the Brown plan is the next best thing. His suggestion is a reasonable response to far from usual circumstances. Unfortunately, this crop of Conservative rulers and would-be rulers do not do reasonable. It’s a weak word, implying give and take.

Brown’s wise words are destined to go unheeded. Only pain awaits.