Utility Week

Community They think it's all over… It occurs to Disconnector that, when it comes to improbable plot twists, Ukip has jumped the shark with its current leader. The party's third leader in 18 months seems determined to be its last. As we go to press, Henry Bolton is promising to end the "factionalism and infighting" plaguing the party. Ironically enough, he seems to have united the party in the belief that he should resign. Most people in Britain were not even aware that Ukip had a party leader until he hit the headlines for dumping his Russian-born wife and their two children for 25-year- old Ukip activist and former topless model Jo Marney. Nemesis followed hubris, and the revelation that Ms Marney had sent a series of racist text messages to an ex-boyfriend about royal-to-be (and adopted national treasure) Meghan Markle was just the ticket. Bolton is desperately trying to "do a Trump", saying he wants to "drain the swamp", but as the swamp he wants to drain is his own party, it's a metaphor that doesn't quite do the job. Besides which, we don't have swamps in this country, we have bogs. And "draining the bog" just conjures up dirty, tedious work. Which would also make it a better metaphor. Making plans for Nigel Meanwhile, Ukip's former leader, Nigel Farage, has been reduced to wandering the world's TV studios looking for a stage and something to say. Nigel famously conceded defeat on referendum night before the result was in, so sure was he that he'd lose – and was as incredulous as everyone else when it became apparent that Leave had won. It occurs to Disconnector that not only was Nigel unprepared for victory, but on a personal level it was the worst outcome for him. He's a professional agitator who speaks the truth – as he sees it – to power. Victory scuppered that particular boat, and now he's le concocting spurious arguments for calling a second referendum, perhaps in the hope that this time he could be back on the losing side and resume his rightful place as the exasperated voice of common sense. Whoa, Davos, great to be here! Another consummate agitator who was by all accounts horrified by his own victory was Donald Trump. The rabble- rousing, pussy-grabbing reality TV star has inadvertently become president of the United States of America and is therefore obliged to trundle off to Davos this week, where he will be expected to at least "make some remarks". Davos is the annual gathering of the elite of the world's elite. The most powerful leaders of the most powerful countries in the world, each of them backed up by a team of the smartest people they can draw from their respective countries. It's precisely the sort of swamp that needs draining, according to Campaign Trail Trump. These are the people who have screwed over the ordinary working stiff, with scams including free trade and globalisation, which have been used to impoverish Americans. Chief among the culprits is China. Very Bad. It will be interesting to hear what the president's "remarks" will be. And therein lies the irony, of course. Trump must be the least qualified world leader ever to have addressed the audience of a Davos gathering. Despite – or perhaps because of – this, no world leader's speech will have been looked forward to with such anticipation. Disconnector Editor, Utility Week, and content director, Utilities: Ellen Bennett, t: 01342 332084, e: ellenbennett@fav-house.com; Deputy editor: Jane Gray, t: 01342 332087, e: janegray@ fav-house.com; Associate editor: Suzanne Heneghan, t: 01342 332106, e: suzanneheneghan@ fav-house.com Features editor: Lois Vallely, t: 01342 332080, e: loisvallely@fav-house.com; Deputy news editor: Katey Pigden, t: 01342 332082, e: kateypigden@fav-house.com; Content editor: Alice Cooke, t: 01342 332102, e: alicecooke@fav-house.com; Energy correspondent: Tom Grimwood, t: 01342 332061, e: tomgrimwood@fav-house.com; Reporter: Clare Ruel, t: 01342 332069, e:clareruel@fav-house.com Policy correspondent: David Blackman, e: davidblackman@ fav-house.com; Sales executive: Ben Hammond, e: benhammond@fav-house.com. t: 01342 332009; Conference sponsorship manager: Sophie Abbott, t: 01342 332062, e; sophieabbott@fav-house.com; Publisher: Amanda Barnes, e: amandabarnes@fav-house.com. General enquiries: 01342 332000; Membership enquiries: Peter Bissell, t: 01342 332057, e: peterbissell@fav-house.com. ISSN: 1356-5532. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. Printed by: Buxton Press, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6AE. 2,500 Average circulation Jan–Dec 2016 Membership subscriptions: UK £669 per year. Overseas £781 per year. Contact Peter Bissell on: 01342 332057 Utility Week is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK's magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors' Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint please contact the editor, Ellen Bennett, at ellenbennett@fav-house.com. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors' Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk UTILITY WEEK | 26TH JANUARY - 1ST FEBRUARY 2018 | 31 Max Wakefield @wakmax Record amount of onshore wind built in 2017 before the ban... and yet public like the turbines more and more. It's almost as if there's a connection. Pavel Miller @PVMill Fantastic progress being made in corporate sourcing of renewables. The big challenge will be how it develops in a post-subsidy world and whether demand sufficient to deliver amount of renewables needed to rapidly decarbonise. Simon Evans @DrSimEvans Coal CEO Bob Murray says the lights will go out if coal generates less than 30% of electricity. This is ludicrous. In the UK, coal supplied less than 7% of electricity generation last year. Memo to Bob: lights did not go out. Bryn Kewley @BrynKewley Spending on improving the efficiency of homes has fallen 89%. Considering Gov stats show fuel poverty kills more people than road traffic accidents, you might hope it was a priority. Tom Steward @Steward_T An essential part of the energy transition is education about living with new technologies. Public acceptance is crucial to deliver change. Mike Foster @mikefosterEUA Lord Deben scathing at the @theCCCuk launch this morning about housebuilders. Audience wildly enthusiastic. Equally damning about those who market heat pumps. Blames them for lack of penetration and inability to construct a sellable narrative. PRASEG @PRASEG @alanwhiteheadmp. Gov is certainly further than previous years, but the two ends still don't meet. Zero waste economy in Clean Growth Strategy has half a line on low-carbon biogas, and no mention of how energy may work in circular economy. William Marchant @richonlyinname Few surprises in the Which? customer satisfaction league table but I'm still trying to get my head around how Iresa have managed to end up mid table. And whisper it quietly: I'm really not convinced npower are all that bad. Top Tweets

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