British energy in the hands of the French state ...

[KathyWoolfe]

Apparently electricity in France is about a fifth the cost that it is here. More likely they'll be trying to sell us more of their electricity and letting their own peasents have less: more profitable that way.

Until we end up in disagreement with the French again (and when have we NOT been in disagreement with the French) and they decide to increase their prices - much like the way oil is rising in price at the moment.

[Bagpuss]

Who in turn are incapable of controlling anything anyway.

I wouldn't worry too much.

Apart from railways, manufacturering cars popular with the UK buying public. Wheras we are brilliant at both of those

[Incognito]

After all, some 80% of France's electricity is generated by its 59 nuclear power generators, compared with less than 20% in the UK

I know who I'd rather be building and running them.

[TimberWolf]

Is it going to be called French Energy?

[Peoplesoft bloke]

I like the French. They still have some respect for their own country. They'd never let a British Company take over EDF, unlike our sell-out governments who will sell anything to any spiv who comes along.

[HeliCraig]

Ah, but did anybody here the CEO of EDF on PM this evening.

He was asked, twice, and avoided both times:

"If this was the other way around and a large British company was buying all of France's nuclear power generation, do you think the French government would allow it?"

Now, we all know the answer to this really. And even if they did, the Unions would scuper it. The French have their own set of rules, and the rest of us have to live with that!!

[TimberWolf]

I like the French. They still have some respect for their own country. They'd never let a British Company take over EDF, unlike our sell-out governments who will sell anything to any spiv who comes along.

Yeah, it's nuts, but not as nuts as if we tried to build our own nuclear reactors...BOOM!

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Yeah, it's nuts, but not as nuts as if we tried to build our own nuclear reactors...BOOM!

Eh? We built 'em in the fifties - and the only reason the Windscale fire happened was because the politicians demanded more plut for weapons.

[TimberWolf]

Eh? We built 'em in the fifties - and the only reason the Windscale fire happened was because the politicians demanded more plut for weapons.

Yeah, but in the fifties we weren't a nation of shiny suited management consultants / hairdressers But more importantly the policy now is to let private enterprise (i.e. shareholders and other numpties more interested in profit than customer service or safety) build and run these projects. This is fine for most things, but nuclear energy? I also don't trust our rocket scientists, they mostly seem carp. Mind you the more you learn the more you see everyone is carp and probably always have been. The irony though is that while our policy is to let private enterprise handle our energy needs, it's being taken over by the French government A very shrewd policy

[thunderlizard]

Careful now!

Let's not start suggesting that Electricité de France is a French company. You can get into trouble for doing that:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4462162.stm