The bumper profits of Centrica and Shell are indicative of the government’s long-term weakness

Centrica boss Chris O’Shea’s comments on the company’s restarted dividend were unfortunate. But both energy companies and politicians are going to have to find better answers to some tough questions, argues James Moore

Winter of discontent: anger is mounting over rising energy bills (Getty/iStock)

CEOs, eh? They spend plenty of money on batteries of in-house advisers, agencies, social media gurus and so on, only to put their feet squarely in their mouths when faced with a PR challenge.

Is this because they ignore the advice they’re given? Or because they only hear what they want to hear? Or because they only ever get told what their advisers think they want to hear? Or because they just hire the wrong people? Perhaps someone should ask Centrica boss Chris O’Shea.

O’Shea admittedly had a difficult job in front of him when it came to presenting the British Gas owner’s results because Centrica’s profits have behaved like someone chucking a lit match into a room full of its product. Kaboom!