Theresa May’s lack of action compounds a failed and incoherent energy strategy, clumsily lurching from crisis to calamity – Long-Bailey

Rebecca
Long-Bailey, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy commenting on Theresa May’s visit
to Copeland said:

“The
Prime Minister today failed to assure that the UK is committed to the NuGen
nuclear plant at Moorside in Cumbria.

“Taking
an equity share as Labour has called for would ensure this vital power station
built. Theresa May’s lack of action compounds a failed and incoherent energy
strategy, clumsily lurching from crisis to calamity.

“Labour
supports new nuclear and the growth of renewable energy, but the Tories appear
hell bent on preventing either, rushing us out of the Euratom nuclear
partnership and slashing low carbon energy support.

“The
Tories’ failure is forcing up energy bills and threatening jobs.”

ENDS

Notes
to Editors

1     Labour
tabled multiple amendments to the recent Article 50 Bills to seek continued
membership of Euratom (the European Atomic Energy Community) including NC192.
The government rejected those attempts to keep the UK inside the nuclear
research and trade community, despite strong calls
from the nuclear industry.

a.      
Leaving Euratom will have significant
implications and disruption
for the nuclear industry, and may affect
the construction of Hinkley Point C.

b.     
Legal
opinion is
split as to whether leaving the EU necessitates the leaving Euratom.

c.      
Labour has come out in
support of new nuclear.

2      
The Government has greatly rolled
back on support for low carbon energy to international
condemnation.

a.      
It is months
late in its publishing of the legally required Emissions Reduction Plan.

b.     
And risks
missing it’s legally required Carbon Budgets as laid out in the Climate
Change Act 2008.

3.     Significant
disruptions in financial flows to the energy infrastructure makes projects more
risky, driving up the cost of capital and impacting bills payers.