The dismal science

As young people living in North London, we used occasionally to stroll down Bishop's Avenue to gaze in adoration at all the fancy houses there, fancy houses which we were never going to be able to afford. So I was amused to read over breakfast today that in 2014 there were 16 derelict properties there, of which that illustrated in one. Not that dereliction seems to affect price all that much. Bizarre, but no more bizarre, I suppose, than Centre Point (at the top of Charing Cross Road) standing empty for years after its construction, while its owner waited for the rent to be right. A build to let merchant rather than a buy to let one.

And then there was a short piece about how EDF (in full, Électricité de France) is worrying whether the power station deal at Hinkley Point is going to bankrupt them, while us lefties are wondering whether us promising to pay them twice the going rate for electricity for ever is a good deal for England. Bring critical national infrastructure back into national ownership say I! And bring on the nuclear!

And lastly, the long running story in the serious newspapers about how cheap oil is going to be the ruin of us all. I can see that oil producers like the Russians and the Nigerians might be a lot happier if oil were a bit dearer, but surely oil consumers like the UK and China ought to be delighted? Cheap oil ought to be kick-starting a splendid bit of recovery with the Saudi's picking up the tab for once?

So, with the dismal science producing three jokes of this sort, it can't be as dismal as all that.

PS: I imagine that Corby the Crow is all for nationalising critical national infrastructure but is completely opposed to anything nuclear. Anything nuclear down to and including the radioactive bits and bobs which are important in various medical gadgets. So he won't be much help.