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Sam Maclaine

@sammaclaine.bsky.social

390 followers 410 following 4.1K posts

I post Pro the environment and Renewable energy. I comment on whatever I like, hopefully being polite and occasionally amusing. I block anyone who doesn't allow responses 🙂

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Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 6h

2025
GDP growth
France ~ 0.6%
Germany ~ 0.4%
UK between 1.2% and 1.25% 🙂

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Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 7h

Before anyone gets too excited, this is a classic 'blame my predecessors'. Nothing is going to change this side of an election on the EU/UK relationship beyond the SPS and Youth Mobility schemes. They will take at least another year to negotiate with little bandwidth either side for anything else 🤔

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Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 8h

Have you ever thought that the reason the 2025 Labour Party doesn't look anything like the original Labour Party is that 2025 looks nothing like 1900 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 8h

Forecast for January 2026 Price Cap is around a 1% fall and then a 1% increase in April 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 18h

The Green Party's policy is to replace NATO with something better 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 19h

Also the UK is getting the Storage capacity to go with it 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 19h

Not that many people use Oil for heating 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 19h

Reform's Fossil Fuel backers must be well pissed 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 19h

BBC today 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 23h

Although Zonal pricing, if it was adopted, would make Electricity in Scotland cheaper you are only talking of a few tens of £ per year on the average bill. On top of that it is likely to push down investment in Renewables, particularly Storage, which might make costs higher longer term 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 23h

That is a myth. We don't even have the highest Electricity bills in Europe. Germany, Denmark and Ireland all have more expensive residential Electricity costs than the UK (including Scotland). We do have high Industrial Electricity prices but some heavy users get subsidies on those 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 23h

Malaise 🙂

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 1d

I think Norway might have something to say about it (Wikipedia) 🤔

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Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 1d

They can. Does not mean the UK can. It would have to join EFTA which is basically 3 small countries. There is no way that the UK which would then be >90% of EFTA in terms of Economic size would get the 3 country plus the EU approvals required 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 1d

But presumably once you are registered on the system then any access in the next 3 years you just go straight through the e-gates ? 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 1d

I am not against the principle of wealth taxes. Just when they have introduced elsewhere they have either been dropped because they raised so little, or had to be modified (Spain/Norway) so they tax people on much less than £10m. So basically lots of people pay something. Bit like Council Tax here 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 1d

Energy wealth in the form of Renewables that are privately owned and Scotland will need the Electricity from anyway. Gas that is running out rapidly and Oil that is heading for $50 a barrel as demand drops making Scotland's expensive oil uneconomic for exports 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 1d

So if I have £1m in an account and I don't get any interest then that doesn't count as wealth so I won't pay any tax ? But if I have a £1m boat I have to pay tax 🤔

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Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 1d

So you then go outside and wait 20 minutes for a Taxi 😂

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Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 1d

Will there be anything left to join ? 🤔 (Sunday Times this week)

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 1d

You can't be in the EU Single Market or Custom's Union without being in the EU 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 1d

I was until recently a long standing Green Party Member. Out in the rain delivering leaflets to support local prospective Councillors, (rarely successful) and the occasional MP. We have one in our area in Waveney. This is not now the Green Party it once was. It's just Farage on the left 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 1d

Interesting how the BBC and The Independent report the same IMF analysis 🤔

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Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 1d

You can talk about it but UK voters aren't really interested according to the weekly YouGov issues survey 🤔

Sam Maclaine @sammaclaine.bsky.social · 1d

Then you are really going to enjoy the Green Party 😂