Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to establish a publicly-owned 'Great British Energy' company within Labour's first year of power. If the party wins the next General Election the Labour leader said he would kickstart an energy revolution which 'powers up all parts of the country'.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool he warned the largest onshore wind farm in Wales is owned by Sweden while the Chinese Communist Party 'has a stake in our nuclear industry'. He added: "And five million people in Britain pay their bills to an energy company owned by France.
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"So we will set up Great British Energy within the first year of a Labour government. A new company that takes advantage of the opportunities in clean British power and because it’s right for jobs, because it’s right for growth, because it’s right for energy independence from tyrants like Putin. Yes conference, Great British Energy will be publicly owned.”
Labour members applauded the pledge. Sir Keir went on: "The future wealth of this country is in our air, in our seas, in our skies.
"Britain should harness that wealth and share it with all. British power to the British people."
Sir Keir added: "Working with Ed Miliband and his team, we will make sure this energy revolution powers up all parts of the country. Let’s get clean hydrogen energy into South Yorkshire, in the East of England, across the river in the Wirral. Offshore wind in Scotland, Teesside, East and North Yorkshire. Solar power growing in rural communities, in the South East, South West and Midlands."
He said it will require a 'different way of working', explaining: “The biggest partnership between government, business and communities this country has ever seen.
"It will mean new jobs – more than a million new jobs, training for plumbers, electricians, engineers, software designers, technicians, builders. And it will all start within the first 100 days of a new Labour government.
"What will it mean for working people? Cheaper bills and higher living standards."
Labour said that the publicly-owned 'GB Energy' would cut bills and deliver energy independence. "This will enable strategic partnership between the private sector and government to deliver its plan for clean power," a spokeswoman said.
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