So, it appears that Sir Keir Starmer trip to China next week will now go ahead, following his craven surrender over the Chinese 'super embassy'. His decision to approve it flies in the face of the advice from the security services, not to mention common sense.
But the UK’s national security is already being compromised by our ever-increasing dependence on China for much of our energy and transport infrastructure, all thanks to Net Zero.
Ed Miliband wants to carpet the countryside with solar panels, tripling our existing capacity in the next five years. And where will all these solar panels come from? China produces about 85% of the world’s output of panels and maybe as much as 95% of the key components, such as polysilicon, wafers and cells, as well as final module assembly.
Solar panels don’t last forever – maybe 15 years at the most. So, what will happen when we need to replace them all in a decade or two? Go cap in hand to the Chinese and hope that we have not done anything to offend them? With global demand growing and rival producers, such as Vietnam and Malaysia, tiny in comparison, we won’t have any other choice.
When Ed Miliband visited China last March, he refused to challenge its use of Uighur slave labour to make solar panels or its reliance on coal power in the production of them. Even if we remain on friendly terms with China, its monopoly of the market will allow it
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Could someone tell Millibrain which way up the Union Jack should be flown, he doesn’t look as though he is in distress – indeed he looks delighted as he signs away my sovereignty.
This moron is the most disgusting globalist parasite that is determined we align with the UN/WEF phony planet saving agenda at ANY COST. The highest electricity prices in the world that are forcing millions into energy poverty are not enough for this parasite. —He wants to double down on it all and pretend to save the planet harder and faster than any other country. —–But as someone once pointed out “The people get the politicians they deserve”. —–We trully are as thick as two short planks to allow this moron to decide our standard of living.
All from the Party that loudly proclaims its virtue about the slave trade and our part in it.
They really are the most disgusting hypocrites.
I doubt if President-for-life Xi will humiliate Two-Tier, the way Trump has. Xi knows that the fact Two-Tier is there, kow-towing to him, is humiliation enough.
Why is this political pygmy portrayed as a statesman making decisions. Like the rest of them he takes his orders from the Brussels mob. In today’s DT, Evans-Pritchard says “A China-Europe energy alliance could deliver a new world order” and the villeins want to be part of it, even if they have to clean toilet skid marks.
Some don’t realise just how true their utterances are. 🙂
Solar panels last a fair bit more than 15 years – maybe 25 before they need replacing. I have a group of them that are almost 12 years old, and their efficiency has deteriorated by about 5%. This was measurable because last year I had a couple of extra new ones of the same design so it was possible to compare the output of each group in identical conditions. They were made in Malaysia.
Replacement of any such equipment is always a financial and technical combination at the end of it’s lifespan.
I guess in England they don’t get much sun and so they last a little longer?
I’d concur with this, with one big caveat. We had solar panels installed in our previous property in 2011. They were German made and came with a 20-year performance guarantee (allowing for a small reduction in efficiency over that period). When we left that property in 2024, there had been no noticeable degradation in performance, nor had there been any technical problems with them.
However, that was German-made panels, and they were more expensive back then than the panels currently on the market. Much more expensive, once you factor in inflation.
My concern is that the Chinese-made panels on the market these days will be of lower quality than the ones we had.
mrbu… Nothing surer.
Ours were installed in 2008 and are still going strong, albeit with slightly reduced performance. The feed-in tariff contract, at over €0.50/KwH (!), runs for almost 3 years more.
We’re a lot further south though.
The problem with solar panels, and windmills, is that the Government is removing all reliable Energy sources from the National Grid, so there’s likely to be extensive, unplanned, power outages, especially at night. And some of the production will be needed to power cars, fire engines, ambulances, tractors and combine harvesters. 🙂
I don’t know. The UK should try to have good relations and trade with everyone, including China. The more deals with more countries, the less dependent on any one country.
The problem is not having deals with China, it’s having nearly all your deals with China.
Quite so. No sensible business plan revolves around a single supplier.
It’s the deals that are the problem.
Labour are committing the country to a dysfunctional Energy Industry, predominantly with Wind & Solar using equipment manufactured abroad, because China has cheap Energy. It’s cheap because they are using Coal like there’s no tomorrow, while we are winding down North Sea Oil and Gas before its time, and are prohibited (by our own government) from accessing the Bowland Shale. Our fuel is very expensive, and most is intermittent.
China uses coal-fired power stations to power EVs, because they have to import most of their oil/gas. And inflicting this solution on the West, that has plenty of Oil/Gas, just adds to their defence strategy.
You are correct. You don’t know.
“the text was kept secret…”
So even Miliband didn’t know what he was signing? Sounds quite likely…
He often doesn’t understand what he’s saying.
I’d like to think you’re correct. The alternative is too disturbing.
A memorandum of zero understanding
Everything Labour does is in China’s interests, almost certainly by CCP command.
Miliband keeps saying we are moving away our energy security away from dictators and petrostates. Seeing that in the UK we are sitting on massive oil and gas reserves, does this mean that he is calling Sir Kier Starmer a petrostate dictator?
The reason that all refining and processing of these raw materials is done by the Chinese is that the acids and solvents used are absolutely horrendous. They are extremely harmful to humans and the planet, but China cares not about those two things.
How very “green” and “progrssive”.
Yes, horrendous, but manageable, though very expensive. The problem has been that a small company (or one of any size) in the West cannot compete with a subsidised processing plant in China, with the subsidies including poor environmental protection and H&S.
Slightly off the topic of this excellent article, does anyone know if Starmer was actually invited to join President Trump’s Board of Peace?
Who is Starmer?
Actually, I think I have asked quite an important question. Does Trump trust Starmer? The reasons given for the UK not joining are weasel words.
Seriously, yes, you have. Not going along with Trump is now apparently a badge of honour for our Glorious Leaders.
Apparently he has refused.
Yes, but was he invited?