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The Labour Party's energy veterans have defended the appointment of Lisa Nandy to the position of shadow energy secretary despite her lack of experience in the energy sector, saying she was carefully chosen for the role.
Labour MP, and former energy and climate change select committee member, Barry Gardiner told Utility Week that Nandy’s “sharp political mind” will allow her to master the brief to stand as an effective critic of the government’s energy policy.
“Lisa has been carefully chosen for this role and is someone who will understand the need to maintain base load to keep the lights on in the UK whilst transitioning to a low carbon economy,” Gardiner said.
Former shadow energy minister Tom Greatrex added that Nandy has proved to be a “bright, formidable and popular” member of the parliamentary Labour Party since she was first elected as MP in 2010.
“She will pick up where Caroline Flint left off in holding the government to account and begin the process of developing policy ahead of the next general election. With her strong personal commitment to social justice, I would expect to see her focusing on fuel poverty and energy efficiency, as well as keeping climate change high up the political agenda,” Greatrex said.
Gardiner added that she would hold government to account over its “£9 billion tax grab from UK renewables” and its “extraordinary generosity to fossil fuel companies” through the subsidised decommissioning of the North Sea oilfields.
“With Paris less than three months away Lisa is precisely the sort of sharp political mind who will be able to master the brief and negotiate skilfully with ministers from around the world to achieve a positive climate agreement,” Gardiner added.
Although Nandy has not held formal energy responsibilities she joined the parliamentary campaign in support of the ‘End the Big Six Energy Fix’ campaign in May 2012 saying it is “appalling” that energy companies are allowed to rake in profits when “more than 5.5 million households hit by fuel poverty which have resulted in an estimated 3,000 premature winter deaths.”
On Tuesday Nandy took to social media, telling her twitter followers she considers her new position to be a “huge privilege”.
“Energy and climate change are among our biggest global and national challenges,” she added.
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