The loss of so many jobs in the UK steel industry in such a short period of time is nothing short of a tragedy. British steelmakers pay nearly twice as much for their electricity as their German and French rivals. Dealing with this would require the UK government to row back on the green policies that slowly ratcheted up energy bills for British businesses. A couple of years ago, I asked the head of a large US fund management company for his opinion on the biggest risk Europe faced. I expected him to say Greece, or the euro, or something about our ageing populations. But he instantly alighted on European energy policy, labelling it “nuts”. Those workers in Scunthorpe and Redcar who have recently been laid off would likely agree. --Ben Wright, The Daily Telegraph, 20 October 2015
