Labour Party Launches National Mission on Clean Energy

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19 June 2023

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to end North Sea oil and gas exploration and to set up a publicly owned green energy company.

If successful in the next general election, the Labour Party intends to make the UK a clean energy “superpower” through measures such as blocking all new oil and gas developments. 

Sir Keir Starmer said: "This isn’t some kind of sackcloth and sandals message anymore, it’s not a nice-to-have. Clean British energy is cheaper than fossil fuels – three times cheaper, that’s a potential gold-mine for our mission on growth and the benefits flow primarily to working people and working class communities."

Labour’s Energy Pledges – Establish GB Energy

Headquartered in Scotland, GB Energy will be a publicly owned company to build “clean and cheap homegrown power for the British people.” It will include offshore wind, tidal energy and hydrogen.

Transition Away From North Sea Oil and Gas

As part of Labour’s plan to shift to clean, homegrown low-carbon power, a “phased and responsible” move away from the North Sea was also outlined by Keir Starmer. According to Keir Starmer's speech, no new licences to explore new oil and gas fields would be granted.

Keen to distance themselves from the coal mine closure of the 1980s, Labour says it will work with offshore communities and trade unions to avoid a repeat of the mistakes of the past. They plan to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in low-carbon industries, to make use of the skills and talents of existing North Sea oil and gas workers.

Reaction to Starmer’s Clean Energy Pledges

The trade association for the UK offshore energies industry, Offshore Energies UK, says that Labour’s proposed ban on new oil and gas exploration licences in UK waters will undermine the UK’s energy security, jobs and attempts to reach net-zero.

David Whitehouse, CEO at Offshore Energies UK, said “We do welcome Sir Keir Starmer’s recognition of the critical role of oil and gas, and of the offshore industry, and its 200,000 workers in delivering energy security and net zero. Everyone is clear that the energy system must change.  

“But Labour’s proposed ban on new exploration licences is too much too soon. It would be damaging for the industry, for consumers and for the UK’s net-zero ambitions. 

“The figures are clear.  The UK has 283 active oil and gas fields but 180 will shut down by 2030. If we don’t replace them with new ones, then production will decline much faster than we can build low-carbon replacements. It means the UK will become increasingly reliant on imports.” 

The press office of the Conservative party tweeted that “Labour’s energy strategy is a surrender plan, written by Just Stop Oil. It is designed to appease their eco-zealot paymasters but does nothing for Britain’s long-term energy security.”

Picture: a photograph of Keir Starmer. Image Credit: https://members.parliament.uk/member/4514/portrait via an Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcod

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 19 June 2023

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