Talking yesterday about aluminium though, weren’t we? Well in a news feature this morning on Radio Four, a nice man who runs the UK’s one remaining smelting plant says that what has occurred in the Gulf has added 40% to the price on top of whatever stemmed from ongoing war in Europe.
Customers are urging them to increase output, except they cannot because beyond the hydro power they use, the UK has among the most expensive energy markets anywhere ~ thanks again, Margaret. Aluminium is known as the 'energy’ metal for the amount required to make it.
Steel is something else, the few remaining plants we have being outdated, foreign-owned and unable to smelt raw product as against scrap; which given a bonfire the Scout movement could probably manage. Remaining facilities will be kept open by subsidy, which usually lasts long enough for nobody to notice the eventual closure. Ideally they’ll brand support with a name like ‘Phoenix’ although ‘Albatross’ would probably be a better choice.
And then there’s food, the bulk of which we import in order that we can enjoy year-round salad with crushed avocado on sour-dough bread. As a consequence, one in five trucks here shuttles food, likely returning empty so as to use more diesel; given that it too is now exorbitant.
On a steely job yesterday ~ unloading sinks from a Chinese container ~ I was asked if I was ex-Army, being the only driver ever to assist the heavy lifting. Turned out my newly-met colleague was... tho' asked were he ready for a call up now reserves are on notice, he said he wouldn’t fight for a country he no longer believes in.
Given how successive governments have treated his like, I’m not really surprised.
Ed. And breeeeeeeeeathe. Crushed avocado on soda-bread for me too, please?
