Starmer promises state-owned energy company

Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to turn the UK into a “clean energy superpower” by setting up a publicly-owned low-carbon generation company.

In his headline speech at the Labour conference on Tuesday (27 September), the opposition leader said that Great British Energy would be established within one year of the party winning the next general election.

He said it would bring “British power to the British people” by taking advantage of the “opportunities in clean British power”, while helping to promote jobs, growth and “energy independence from tyrants like Putin”.

By contrast, he said much UK energy infrastructure is currently owned by foreign-owned companies, including the Chinese Communist Party’s stake in the UK nuclear industry, referring to state owned company CGN’s involvement in the Hinkley Point C project.

Starmer also confirmed the weekend’s announcement to undertake an “energy revolution” to decarbonise the electricity grid by 2030.

He promised the “biggest partnership” between government, business and communities the UK has ever seen, would start within 100 days of the election of a Labour government.

While Labour’s Green Prosperity Plan would not be easy to achieve, it would deliver “fair growth” across the country, he said: “It won’t be like flicking a switch. It will mean tough battles on issues like planning and regulation. But when the Tories nay-say and carp, remember this: the road to net zero is no longer one of stern, austere, self-denial. It’s at the heart of modern, 21st century aspiration.”

Polly Billington, chief executive of the UK100 coalition of councils and a former advisor to Ed Miliband, welcomed the plans for a public energy company but added that “the public will want more details on how exactly it will work to reduce their bills”.

She went on to call for Labour to throw its weight behind a mass home insulation drive, insisting “the cheapest energy is the energy we don’t use”.

She added: “A new publicly-owned energy company is a bold idea designed to grab headlines, but the details are scant and there’s no mention of the vital role of local authorities. We’re calling for a locally-led drive on energy efficiency to permanently reduce household bills and accelerate progress on net zero. It might not be headline-grabbing, but people don’t want soundbites, they just want to be able to afford to pay their bills.”

“If the Labour Party is to deliver on its energy promises, it’s time to end the wait and insulate.”

Labour vows to “clean up the water industry”

Starmer’s speech followed shadow environment secretary of state Jim McMahon’s pledge to strike off water company directors who “routinely and systematically break” rules and ensure illegal activity is “punished”.

He said: “Being a custodian of water and the environment will be a duty again. The institutions intended to hold them accountable are weakened and toothless as water bosses laugh all the way to the bank.”

McMahon also said Labour would also deliver mandatory monitoring of all sewage outlets as well as introducing a legally binding target to end 90% of sewage discharges by 2030. The party is proposing automatic fines for discharges as well as a standing charge penalty for discharge points without monitoring in place.

He said he would “ensure any failure to improve is paid for by eroding dividends, not added to customer bills, or hitting vital investment in the system”.

McMahon also pledged to give the Environment Agency “the power and resources to properly enforce the rules”.