The Labour Party is planning to create a publicly-owned company called Great British Energy which will be headquartered in Scotland. Sir Keir Starmer has said that the establishment of this new energy firm in Scotland would bring a “huge number” of skilled jobs to the country. The primary aim of Great British Energy would be to drive the transition to clean energy. Sir Keir has said that he wants to ensure “those jobs are in Scotland rather than other countries”. Many of the UK’s oil and gas and offshore wind industries are based in Scotland.
Speaking on the BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Sir Keir said that Great British Energy would be created very quickly if Labour comes into power. As we transition into clean power, there is the potential for many skilled, long-term, well-paid jobs, and GB Energy will be the driver of this, ensuring that those jobs are in Scotland. Sir Keir believes that initiatives are already under way in Europe and America to get ahead on renewables and he wants Scotland and the UK to be in the race.
Labour intends to fund the new company through a windfall tax on oil and gas firms which is estimated to raise £8.3bn over the next five years. Great British Energy will invest in wind and solar projects as well as new technologies such as floating offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage.
The SNP has criticised the project, claiming that it would “destroy Scottish jobs and investment”. Stephen Flynn, the SNP Westminster leader, has described the scheme as a “con trick” that will “deter billions of pounds of investment”. The SNP believes the scheme will use “Scotland’s energy wealth” to fund nuclear projects in England and could result in a loss of up to 100,000 Scottish jobs.
The Conservative Energy Secretary, Claire Coutinho, has attacked the Labour plans as unfunded. She has also criticised the party’s moves to stop new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea. The Green Party has said that Labour’s plans do not go far enough
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