A fresh report by the Institute for Economic Affairs shreds Ed Miliband’s net zero plans. It argues that not drilling in the North Sea alongside Labour’s punitive windfall tax will actually drive up carbon emissions…
The report – authored by energy expert Kathryn Porter – points to the fact that sourcing energy from overseas creates 50% more carbon emissions than if it had been sourced at home according to the Climate Change Committee. It also predicts that the UK will still need around 168 million barrels of oil in 2050 as Britain would still need it for plastics, medicine and fertilisers. And that’s the year Miliband wants to hit net zero…
The Tories have backed the report, with Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho saying:
“We are going to need oil and gas for decades and as much of it as possible should come from Britain. It makes no sense that Labour is choosing to shut down the North Sea and put tens of thousands of jobs at risk just to make us more dependent on foreign imports with higher emissions.”
Read the report in full below:
Starmer was read out a list of his 13 U-turns on BBC Radio 2, to which he responded:
“Well, I am a common sense merchant.”