London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Nov 13, 2025

Labour conference: Sir Keir Starmer backs net zero electricity to boost growth

Labour conference: Sir Keir Starmer backs net zero electricity to boost growth

Labour has set out plans to make the UK the first major economy in the world to generate all of its electricity without using fossil fuels.

Sir Keir Starmer says achieving zero carbon energy by 2030 will be a key priority if he wins the next election.

But he said fossil fuels may be used as a "fall back" if it cannot be achieved by the end of the decade.

He told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg it was a "difficult" goal but "absolutely doable".

Labour sources said an emergency backup capacity of 0.7% of fossil fuel electricity production would be kept on stand by.

The government has already committed to zero carbon electricity by 2035 - but that pledge was made before the global spike in energy prices.

New prime minister Liz Truss has promised more renewable energy as part of a plan to make the UK a net exporter of energy by 2040, ending the country's dependence on foreign supplies.

However, she has also announced plans to restart fracking and issue more licenses to drill for gas.

Labour has already unveiled plans to spend £28bn a year on making the UK economy more green.

But the party believes it can win votes by promoting green energy as a way to generate economic growth, in contrast to Tory tax cuts for the well-off.

Sir Keir used colourful language at a fringe meeting on Saturday evening to attack the economic policies set out by Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.

Cutting taxes for the better-off to stimulate growth has been attacked by critics as "trickle-down" economics.

"It's not trickle down, it's taking the piss", Sir Keir told party activists.

"You heard the chancellor yesterday (Friday). I didn't agree with almost anything he said in that financial statement yesterday apart from his opening sentence, when he said there's a 'vicious cycle of stagnation'.

"He's right about that and it's their vicious cycle of stagnation. That is the verdict on 12 years of Tory government, a vicious cycle of stagnation and we need to hang that around their necks."

He said it was good when "somebody who is caught red-handed actually pleads guilty".

Both Liz Truss and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng have defended their plans to cut taxes.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Ms Truss said the measures set out so far were "just the start" and her government would be "unapologetic in this pursuit" for growth.

And speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Mr Kwarteng also suggested there was "more to come".

Meanwhile, several papers including the Sunday Telegraph reported claims Ms Truss was due to make more tax cuts in the new year, including to income tax, and discounts for savers and child benefit claimants.


Sir Keir, who will make his keynote speech to conference on Tuesday, is kicking off the week with a promise to turn the UK into a clean energy "superpower".

Labour says it will work with business to more than quadruple offshore wind power, triple solar, and double onshore wind by the end of this decade, while backing nuclear, hydrogen, and tidal power.

"Our plan for clean power by 2030 will save the British people £93bn off their energy bills and break the UK's vulnerability to Putin and his cronies," said Sir Keir.

"It will also support our drive for higher growth and rising living standards."

Labour says the plan will also "reindustrialise" the UK, by creating more than 200,000 direct jobs and up to 260,000-300,000 indirect jobs.

Meanwhile, shadow foreign secretary David Lamy is set to announce a new "green dimension" to Labour's foreign policy.

In a conference speech, he will set out plans to put the environment at the top of the international agenda by making the climate crisis a standing item on the agenda of the National Security Council and pushing for climate action to become a fourth pillar of the United Nations.

The party is also expected to announce plans this week to put 13,000 more neighbourhood police on Britain's streets if elected, to cut crime and anti-social behaviour.


Sir Keir Starmer: "We've got to have the ambition to get off fossil fuels when it comes to our power"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Upholds Firm Rules on Stablecoins to Shield Financial System
Brussels Divided as UK-EU Reset Stalls Over Budget Access
Prince Harry’s Remembrance Day Essay Expresses Strong Regret at Leaving Britain
UK Unemployment Hits 5% as Wage Growth Slows, Paving Way for Bank of England Rate Cut
Starmer Warns of Resurgent Racism in UK Politics as He Vows Child-Poverty Reforms
UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 4.7% as Supermarkets Launch Pre-Christmas Promotions
UK Government Backs the BBC amid Editing Scandal and Trump Threat of Legal Action
UK Assessment Mis-Estimated Fallout From Palestine Action Ban, Records Reveal
UK Halts Intelligence Sharing with US Amid Lethal Boat-Strike Concerns
King Charles III Leads Britain in Remembrance Sunday Tribute to War Dead
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows as Households Hold Back Ahead of Black Friday and Budget
Shell Pulls Out of Two UK Floating Wind Projects Amid Renewables Retreat
Viagogo Hit With £15 Million Tax Bill After HMRC Transfer-Pricing Inquiry
Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack Pinches UK GDP, Bank of England Says
UK and Germany Sound Alarm on Russian-Satellite Threat to Critical Infrastructure
Former Prince Andrew Faces U.S. Congressional Request for Testimony Amid Brexit of Royal Title
BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness Resign Amid Editing Controversy
Tom Cruise Arrives by Helicopter at UK Scientology Fundraiser Amid Local Protests
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Face Fresh UK Probes Amid Royal Fallout
Mothers Link Teen Suicides to AI Chatbots in Growing Legal Battle
UK Government to Mirror Denmark’s Tough Immigration Framework in Major Policy Shift
UK Government Turns to Denmark-Style Immigration Reforms to Overhaul Border Rules
UK Chancellor Warned Against Cutting Insulation Funding as Budget Looms
UK Tenant Complaints Hit Record Levels as Rental Sector Faces Mounting Pressure
Apple to Pay Google About One Billion Dollars Annually for Gemini AI to Power Next-Generation Siri
UK Signals Major Shift as Nuclear Arms Race Looms
BBC’s « Celebrity Traitors UK » Finale Breaks Records with 11.1 Million Viewers
UK Spy Case Collapse Highlights Implications for UK-Taiwan Strategic Alignment
On the Road to the Oscars? Meghan Markle to Star in a New Film
A Vote Worth a Trillion Dollars: Elon Musk’s Defining Day
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
President Donald Trump Challenges Nigeria with Military Options Over Alleged Christian Killings
Nancy Pelosi Finally Announces She Will Not Seek Re-Election, Signalling End of Long Congressional Career
UK Pre-Budget Blues and Rate-Cut Concerns Pile Pressure on Pound
ITV Warns of Nine-Per-Cent Drop in Q4 Advertising Revenue Amid Budget Uncertainty
National Grid Posts Slightly Stronger-Than-Expected Half-Year Profit as Regulatory Investments Drive Growth
UK Business Lobby Urges Reeves to Break Tax Pledges and Build Fiscal Headroom
UK to Launch Consultation on Stablecoin Regulation on November 10
UK Savers Rush to Withdraw Pension Cash Ahead of Budget Amid Tax-Change Fears
Massive Spoilers Emerge from MAFS UK 2025: Couple Swaps, Dating App Leaks and Reunion Bombshells
Kurdish-led Crime Network Operates UK Mini-Marts to Exploit Migrants and Sell Illicit Goods
UK Income Tax Hike Could Trigger £1 Billion Cut to Scotland’s Budget, Warns Finance Secretary
Tommy Robinson Acquitted of Terror-related Charge After Phone PIN Dispute
Boris Johnson Condemns Western Support for Hamas at Jewish Community Conference
HII Welcomes UK’s Westley Group to Strengthen AUKUS Submarine Supply Chain
Tragedy in Serbia: Coach Mladen Žižović Collapses During Match and Dies at 44
Diplo Says He Dated Katy Perry — and Justin Trudeau
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Trump Calls Title Removal of Andrew ‘Tragic Situation’ Amid Royal Fallout
UK Bonds Rally as Chancellor Reeves Briefs Markets Ahead of November Budget
×