Above (right) is Lady Caroline Lamb, best known for describing George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron as “Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know.” Lady Caroline was a novelist, but is best known for her affair with Lord Byron in 1812. Her husband was the 2nd Viscount Melbourne, the Prime Minister. However, she was never the Viscountess Melbourne because she died before Melbourne succeeded to the peerage; hence, she is known to history as Lady Caroline Lamb. She was the only daughter of the 3rd Earl of Bessborough.
It could very well be that another lady, Vicky Prince (above left) former wife of our dearly beloved Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne could very justifiably use Lady Caroline’s phrase to describe her “Ex.”
The British Gazette will examine each of the three descriptors in reverse order beginning with the third – dangerous to know – as this may well be the most apposite so far as Vicky Prince is concerned.
Readers will know of the allegations that Mr Huhne asked another person – possibly Vicky Prince – to “take the penalty points” for him following Mr Huhne being recorded – presumably by speed trap camera – breaking the speed limit.
If these allegations are correct and Vicky Prince was that person then the consequences for both her and Mr Huhne are serious. Very serious. This is because to persuade another person to falsely admit to being the driver of the vehicle at the time (of the offence) is perverting the course of justice. Whereas the original speeding offence is a summary offence dealt with in the magistrates court and subject to a fine, the offence of perverting the course of justice is an indictable offence tried in the Crown Court. The sentence in such circumstances is invariably imprisonment. Not only for the person who asked the other person to “take the points” but for that person themselves. That this is the case is well known as there have been earlier cases of husbands asking their wives to “take the points” which have been found out and both parties ended up in gaol.
If Vicky Prince was the other party she is in very serious position. The British Gazette has this advice for her: the best course of action for her is to go with her solicitor to the police and make a full confession.
If an offender does this and throws themselves on the mercy of the court, the judge is likely to be lenient in the sentence they impose. With a QC with a good reputation for pleas in mitigation she may well escape an immediate custodial sentence and receive a suspended sentence. She could possibly receive a community service order in place of this however.
Mr Huhne however will not be so fortunate. If convicted of prevailing upon his wife to “take the points” Mr Huhne will be facing a stretch in one of Her Majesty’s penal establishments. His will not be a suspended sentence. He will “Go to Gaol and Go directly to gaol.” He will not pass “Go” and will most definitely not collect an extra £200 in expenses.
Now to the descriptor of “Bad.”
Bad in Mr Huhne’s case can be said to lie in the monstrous practise indulged in by some selfish and greedy people of putting photovoltaic panels on the roofs of their houses to make money.
British Gazette readers may not be aware of the appalling deceit that is being practised by these folks upon their unsuspecting neighbours. For as well as receiving over 43 pence per kilowatt hour these people are allowed to consume the electricity they generate whilst still being paid for it! This “incredible but true” scandalous state of affairs comes about because electricity thus generated is so pathetically small there is no point in metering it! What happens in actual fact is that a notional electrical output of the panels is calculated dependent upon the following criteria:
– Elevation of roof (north/south/east/west). Obviously south facing elevations are the most rewarding and most installations are on south facing or primarily south facing elevations.
– The pitch (angle of panel to the horizontal)
– The number and size of the panels (there is a limit of 3.92 kilowatts)
– Location of site (sunlight varies).
These all combine to give a value in terms of revenue for a given cost. Rates of return are guaranteed over twenty five years. It does not matter if the sun does not shine as these greedy folks get paid on a notional figure. A typical installation costs £14,000 and will give over 10% return on that figure. Thus the householder will receive £1,500 pa average. In addition their own electricity bills are reduced as they consume their own power. There are meters that could record such electricity generated but the cost of these and the costs of recording mean that it is more cost effective to record a generous notional amount and pay the householder for the electricity whether they consume it or not.
Where does the money come from? You ask. Answer: their neighbours in the form of higher electricity prices.
This truly is a scandal for what we have here is a number of well to do middle class householders with high levels of disposable income deriving an income out of the pockets of the poorest and most vulnerable in society.
But then what do you expect of Quislings who are quite happy and willing to govern the country under the edicts of a foreign power?
Now to the descriptor of “Mad.”
Mr Huhne has it appears finally taken leave of his senses. This is the only logical explanation of a policy that shows its authors have finally detached themselves from the reality of life. Huhne is to announce that he will accept the recommendations of the independent Committee on Climate Change for a new “carbon budget”. The purpose to reduce the levels of “carbon emissions” to one fifth of 1990 levels by 2050. In order to achieve this the committee has said “carbon emissions” should be reduced to two fifths of 1990 levels by 2030.
A senior government figure said: “This country is now the world leader in cutting carbon emissions. We are the only nation with legally binding commitments past 2020.”
David Kennedy, chief executive of the independent Committee on Climate Change. “We have moved into uncharted territory and are going to be watched carefully by other countries. No one else has a target like this.”
Mr Kennedy is right. Right in the same was as we would all watch in horror if a man on the roof of a tall building stepped off to fall to his death some hundred feet below. For this lunatic policy will have the same result so far as the British economy is concerned.
There is one word that best describes Mr Huhne’s proposals: Mad.
Speaking the Truth unto the Nation
