As political attention focused on Liverpool this week, Brevia Energy brings you the top three energy-related moments from the Labour Party Conference.
- Winter Fuel Payment Motion
Dissatisfaction with the Government’s winter fuel payment changes has lingered, despite its success in overcoming a Parliamentary challenge. A reportedly subdued and “weird” energy at the Conference has been attributed to the discontent felt by many within the party over the Government’s decision.[1]
On the final day of Conference, a motion to reverse the changes passed by a narrow margin. The motion, brought forward by the Unite and Communications Workers Union, was decided by a show of hands. The timing of the vote, which occurred on the final day of Conference after much of the Labour leadership had already left Liverpool, added to frustrations.
While the vote is not binding, it sends a clear message to the Government about the unease surrounding the cuts. It also marks an early setback for the Labour leadership on one of their first major and controversial decisions since taking office. The Government has made clear that it will not reverse its decision, so it remains to be seen whether anything further will come in the backlash against this policy change.
- GB Energy Headquarters Announced
After weeks of speculation and criticism for delays in the announcement, the Prime Minister officially confirmed that the headquarters of GB Energy are to be based in Aberdeen, with additional sites in Edinburgh and Glasgow.[2] While not unexpected news to many in the energy sector, the inclusion of the announcement in the Prime Minister’s speech signifies the centrality of the energy mission to Government.
The energy transition has raised long-standing concerns over the future of the oil and gas industry, particularly regarding job losses. Aberdeen, which has been heavily reliant on the sector, was one of only two UK cities with fewer jobs in 2023 than in 2010, partly due to declines in oil and gas employment. [3] Headquartering GB Energy in Aberdeen reflects the Government’s committed to delivering a fair transition and to creating new clean energy jobs, potentially heralding a new era for the city’s economy. However, further details, including a timeline for when the company will be fully operational, have yet to be announced.
- UK’s Special Representative for Climate Announced
Following reports in the Guardian earlier in the week, the Foreign Secretary David Lammy MP and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband MP announced on Thursday that Rachel Kyte is to serve as the UK’s Special Representative on Climate.[4] This role was previously abolished under Rishi Sunak’s Government, as part of a general disinclination from engaging in international climate leadership.
Rachel Kyte is currently a Professor of Practice in Climate Policy at the University of Oxford, and dean emerita of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She was previously a Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and also served as CEO of Sustainable Energy for All, amongst several other high-profile climate related positions.
The reinstatement of this position reflects the determination of both Miliband and Lammy to restore the UK’s climate leadership and establish a new ‘Clean Power Alliance’. Following the Labour Party Conference, the duo headed to New York for the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week, where they hosted an event titled Accelerating Deployment of Clean Power: Building a Global Clean Power Alliance’.
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[1]‘Keir Starmer struggles to fix morale at ‘weird’ Labour conference’, Financial Times, 25 September 2024, Link
[2] ‘GB Energy: What does it mean for Scotland?’, BBC, 24 September 2024, Link
[3] ‘Aberdeen’s lost decade: What went wrong?’, Centre for Cities, 29 January 2024, Link
[4] ‘Labour appoints Rachel Kyte to climate envoy role axed by Sunak’, The Guardian, 25 September 2024, Link
