It’s a dark day when the lights go out

A RICH, compact first- world country with a centrally planned and controlled national grid really should not experience power cuts, especially in mid-summer.

Friday’s blackouts suggest that something is seriously wrong with our electricity generation, and a major rethink is necessary. For the National Grid to say that its systems ‘ worked well’ is like a hospital announcing ‘ the operation was a success, but the patient died’.

As for its promise that it will ‘ learn the lessons’, this dim, wooden, defensive language will convince most people that no lessons will be learnt at all.