Petrol and diesel prices - creeping upwards

Have you noticed that the price of petrol and diesel is creeping upwards again? OK the price of a barrel has risen slightly and the exchange rate against the dollar of the UK pound is a little worse. However, it seems someone is out to push prices up again to maximise profits.

Personally, I think fuel prices should be set nationally as in Iceland. In Iceland prices are the same wherever you go.   I also think it is odd that anyone profits when fuels are essential to all of us.  I'd run all energy supplies as nationalised industries, with any profits benefiting the consumer and not private share-holders. In this I'd put all essential services like energy, trains and buses. Clearly privatisation may encourage efficiency but making profits for private shareholders is stupid, in my opinion, when we are talking of essential services. These should be run for the benefit of all, not the few.

Privatisation of "core" esssential services

To me it is puzzling that "core" essential businesses are nationalised: that any profits go to shareholders rather than the general public. Likewise I cannot understand why the Royal Mail had to be sold off. Our postal service should be owned by us, the great British public. We should be re-investing any profits back into the Royal Mail, maybe reducing prices rather than improving dividends for the few.

I understand the arguments about "competition" but for energy services - gas, electricity, oil, coal, etc plus postal services, rail and buses surely should all be in public ownership? Yes, the power of irresponsible unions has to be curbed, but the argument for public ownership is a good one. It is wrong for services we totally depend on being in private hands.

I am totally against privatisation of "core" businesses such as energy.

Also, I have grave doubts over fracking.  Although it has the potential for low cost gas, how much better to  invest in clean renewable energy instead? Billions will be invested in fracking which is essentially trying to extend the life of fossil fuels with all the carbon released threatening climate change.