The nightmarish chaos of blackouts is down to three decades of complacency by Governments

Power failure

FOR years The Sun has warned of the nightmarish chaos which blackouts could inflict on modern Britain. That appalling prospect looks increasingly likely.

In the 1970s power cuts turned off our lights and TV. Now computers and broadband run our lives and businesses. Without power our connected nation will be virtually paralysed.

This is Putin’s fault, of course. But that’s too easy.

The failure to secure one of our most basic needs is ultimately down to three decades of catastrophic complacency by successive Governments.

That means Labour, which did nothing about energy security for 13 years.

The Lib Dems, idiotically wedded to the impossible fantasy of powering Britain with wind and solar alone and sickeningly proud to block alternatives.

And the Tories, who were similarly over-confident about supplies from Russia even when it was clear Putin was a monster capable of unleashing mayhem.

Our power plants do not rely on his gas. But other nations in Europe do, and are now left competing with us for rival supplies. A shortage is looming.

Add to that a potentially cold but calm winter, with huge demand for power but too little wind for our turbines, and we may run short.

What a corrective for those who think a wind-and-solar-only grid is viable. We will always need nuclear and, for now, gas and even coal.

We must learn that lesson fast. We must face down the NIMBYs and delusional, face-gluing eco fools. We must explore fracking, build nuclear plants and extract far more North Sea gas.

Even if we dodge blackouts, we must rapidly become self-sufficient for energy to prevent Putin or some future tyrant successfully plunging us into the dark.

Birthday beast

WE wish Putin a most unhappy 70th birthday. What a 70th year it has been.

He spent it butchering innocent people and sacrificing hordes of his own troops as cannon fodder.

He turned his country not into a giant power but a target of global hatred and derision.

He caused millions of Russians to emigrate to avoid his misrule and conscription into his overhyped, broken army. 

He became the new Hitler.

We pray this creature doesn’t make 71, certainly not in the Kremlin.

The best way to ensure that? Keep our weapons and aid pouring into Ukraine, to power its stunning and heroic fightback.

Border baffler

WHY is Liz Truss so silent on immigration?

Brexit voters who backed the Tories in 2019 wanted control over it.

They did not expect legal migration to keep soaring or for hundreds a day to land illegally, but with impunity, on our beaches.

The PM seems to hope migrants will fill our many job vacancies.

What about the five million Brits on out-of-work benefits?