Time for the Beeb to red card Lineker?

Lineker has been the main presenter of Match of the Day for more than 20 years          Source: BBC

Following news that the TV licence fee is to be increased from £157.50 to £159 Mail Online reported this reaction from a community nurse after Gary Lineker tweeted his 'heartless' reaction to the increase.

The mother-of-two who specialises in dementia and palliative care said she is facing being kicked out of her home for missing a TV licence direct debit.

"She fumed: 'I'm an NHS nurse, worked all through the pandemic. Me and my two children are facing homelessness and TV licensing are taking me to court for a missed direct debit. She said she questioned if she could be taken to court and added: 'Explained it to the inspector that came to the house. 'But as I had a BBC channel on it was deemed a breach as the licence was not renewed due to the failed direct debit. 'Paid it on the spot. Got told to change my plea to guilty to avoid more fees. 'It's been a long nightmare'." 

Mail Online reported that BBC star Gary Lineker was accused of 'mocking the poor' after joking about his £1.3million salary in response to the corporation ramping up the cost of the licence fee. The 60 years old former England soccer player responded to news of the hike from £157.50 to £159 on Twitter with 'But, but I've just taken a pay cut', followed with a zany face emoticon.

Lineker's attempt at a joke misfired badly and saw him described as 'heartless' and 'missing the mood of the public'. The community nurse responded with "I hope you manage to survive with your pay cut."

Lineker may have taken a pay cut from around £1.7 million but he is still paid £1.3 million, the cost of over 8,000 TV licenses when many pensioners over 75 and over-stretched workers cannot afford one.

I know soccer is a kin to religion for many but the cost of retaining this over-paid 'high priest' and other similarly over-paid 'stars' is depriving some of the most vulnerable in society of a link with the outside world, particularly when they are essentially under house arrest during lock-down.

Super Saturday!

Pubs open in Soho                                                                                                    Source: BBC/EPA

Lifting Covid-19 restrictions has been the long awaited green light for citizens who are not particularly bothered about social distancing for the benefit of all.

"Good solid British common sense" gets left behind.

Having packed English beaches, roads outside pubs have become the latest places to congregate with no regard for social distancing.

Easing of the lock-down brings new perils for vulnerable people among us. 

Shielding since March, the thought of venturing out after the lock-down fills them with trepidation. 

Re-uniting families within the rules is being allowed but dangers for vulnerable people are multiplied unnecessarily by the thoughtless behaviour of mainly younger people who ignore the rules.

They make a second wave of Covid-19 infection more likely, risking the lives of others while adding to the burden of the NHS whose 72nd birthday we celebrate today.

The great energy rip-off

When it comes to choosing Gas and Electricity suppliers I am baffled. Tariff type, Unit rate, Standing charges, dual fuel, DD, Exit fees, etc, etc. All I want to know is the overall price for supplying gas and electricity but dream on.

My fixed tariff agreement is about to expire. If I do nothing I will be transferred to the Standard Rate with a big hike in charges. Lest I should be bombarded with suggestions that online switching sites are the answer, I know but they can be part of the problem: The Charity Age UK earned £6m a year for encouraging thousands to sign up to special rate that was £245 higher than cheapest tariff.

Money Saving Expert assures me that by using the Cheap Energy Club I can make significant savings by switching to British Gas. That seemed like a good idea before I heard the boss of Centrica on the BBC's Breakfast Time show this morning justifying the rise in British Gas profits of 31%. What if I sign up and then they reduce their prices? I will be stuck with a fixed tariff until February 2017 unless paying exit fees makes a change worthwile.

After reading about a supposed good deal on a switching site a few months ago I decided to switch. My current supplier then phoned to tell me that comparison sites do not necessarily offer the best advice because "there are various ways of calculating costs". Also some sites do not include all suppliers in their comparisons. Then of course there were the meter readings; were they up to date? And don't forget the mild Winter effect.... I accepted the advice offered and left the decision to another day. My supplier couldn't offer a better deal at the time although there could be a better deal in February when new tariffs may be available. I am still waiting and it is decision time.

The Government assures me that competition is good for the economy benefiting customers with lower prices. But what about consumers who are unable to navigate the obstacle course and the many pensioners who do not have access to a computer or lack the necessary internet skills?

Competition has become a means of boosting profits at the expense of the vulnerable. In fact, a proposal considered by the Competition and Markets Authority is a plan put forward by energy companies themselves to end the use of indefinite standard tariffs and 'force' households to choose a new gas and electricity deal every year. A "licence to rip off consumers" was the verdict of the charity Citizens Advice.

Instead of being given a licence to rip off consumers, energy suppliers should be compelled to advertise their cheapest rates, thus enabling customers to choose between suppliers for the best deal.

Now that that would be an innovation!