Keir Starmer to launch Great British energy pledges in Scotland
Keir Starmer is expected to warn that “family financial security depends on energy security” and accusing Tories of failing to make Britain resilient, as he launches the logo and website for Great British Energy at an event in Scotland with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
Labour’s pledge to set up a publicly owned company to invest in domestic power sources – part of the party’s six-point “first steps” policy – aims to tackle the cost-of-living crisis by cutting energy bills.
Early investments by Great British Energy will include wind and solar projects across the UK, as well as making Scotland a world leader in new technologies.
Ahead of the launch Starmer said:
The pain and misery of the cost-of-living crisis was directly caused by the Tories’ failure to make Britain resilient, leaving us at the mercy of fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators like Putin.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Our clean power mission with Great British Energy will take back control of our destiny and invest in cheap, clean homegrown energy that we control.
We will turn the page on the cost-of-living crisis. The choice at this election is clear: higher bills and energy insecurity with the Conservatives, or lower bills and energy security with Labour.
The plan has also been endorsed by former chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance, who said: “The prize is huge, lower energy bills, good jobs, more innovative businesses, energy security and climate leadership.
“If we choose to go slowly, others will provide the answers and we will ultimately end up buying the solutions rather than selling them. Getting to a clean power system fast and with appropriate technologies is an investment, not simply a cost.”
Key events
Starmer declines to say whether he wants Diane Abbott to run for election
Labour leader Keir Starmer has declined to say whether he wants Diane Abbott to run as a Labour candidate in next month’s election, while repeating that she has not been formally barred by the Labour party.
Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, he told listeners “Diane Abbott has had the whip returned to her, no decision has been taken to bar her from standing and the NEC will come to a decision in due course.”
Asked if he would like her to be a candidate, Starmer added: “Ultimately, that will be a matter for the NEC but no decision has been taken.”
Shadow science secretary Peter Kyle was asked about the situation while appearing on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, and said:
I’m sure there’s lots of conversations going on. They will be going on in as sensitive a way as possible. Diane was a trailblazer. We have a lot of respect for that. This election, though is about the future. And the NEC will be making sure that our party is fit for the future. And I think all these things will be discussed. They will come to a decision in the coming days.
Pressed on whether he was suggesting that Abbott wasn’t fit to stand as an MP again, Kyle said:
These are real issues about standards, and I’m not going to apologise for the fact that Keir Starmer, when he became leader of the Labour party, raised the standards by which sitting MPs, candidates, anybody that represents the Labour party and speaks on his behalf, are held.
That is why just today another Tory MP endorsed the Labour party That is because of the standards that we’re holding ourselves to and we are holding ourselves to extremely high standards.
Martin Forde KC has also spoken to the BBC about the row surrounding her selection. He told listeners:
It looks utterly shambolic to me, in ways that are probably predictable, in the sense that you need a system of regulation which is transparent, as swift as it can be, and consistent in outcome.
And when you have situations where the various factions are able to point to unequal treatment, or lack of consistency, it allows them to argue that this is a system which is factional.
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has also spoken ahead of the launch of Great British Energy in Scotland. The shadow energy security and net zero secretary said:
Great British Energy will kickstart our mission for clean power to lower bills and boost our energy independence. It’s time to move on from the Tories’ bone-headed opposition to clean energy, for which British families are paying the price. The choice at this general election is clear: higher bills and energy insecurity with the Conservatives, or lower bills and energy independence with Labour.
Keir Starmer to launch Great British energy pledges in Scotland
Keir Starmer is expected to warn that “family financial security depends on energy security” and accusing Tories of failing to make Britain resilient, as he launches the logo and website for Great British Energy at an event in Scotland with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
Labour’s pledge to set up a publicly owned company to invest in domestic power sources – part of the party’s six-point “first steps” policy – aims to tackle the cost-of-living crisis by cutting energy bills.
Early investments by Great British Energy will include wind and solar projects across the UK, as well as making Scotland a world leader in new technologies.
Ahead of the launch Starmer said:
The pain and misery of the cost-of-living crisis was directly caused by the Tories’ failure to make Britain resilient, leaving us at the mercy of fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators like Putin.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Our clean power mission with Great British Energy will take back control of our destiny and invest in cheap, clean homegrown energy that we control.
We will turn the page on the cost-of-living crisis. The choice at this election is clear: higher bills and energy insecurity with the Conservatives, or lower bills and energy security with Labour.
The plan has also been endorsed by former chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance, who said: “The prize is huge, lower energy bills, good jobs, more innovative businesses, energy security and climate leadership.
“If we choose to go slowly, others will provide the answers and we will ultimately end up buying the solutions rather than selling them. Getting to a clean power system fast and with appropriate technologies is an investment, not simply a cost.”
Welcome and opening summary …
Good morning, and welcome to our live coverage of the general election campaign. Here are your headlines …
Keir Starmer is campaigning in Scotland and holds a launch event this morning. Ed Davey is visiting south-west London and will do a media event this afternoon.
It is Martin Belam with you again today. I do try to read all your comments but if you want to get in touch with me then email is probably the best bet. You can reach me [email protected].
