Quite simply the Labour Manifesto doesn’t say much about their vision for the UK’s energy future and it is mainly for this reasons it is awarded such a low score, there are no glaring errors or inconsistencies, but there is no clear view to the future either.
Where there are references to the energy system we are very pleased to see a reference to a binding 2030 decarbonisation target, as this will provide investors and developers with some certainty and allow them to plan projects in the medium term. We also welcome their plans to drive forward energy efficiency, one of the “low hanging fruit” we must grasp if we are to move forward to a zero carbon energy system.
However, there is much left unsaid in this manifesto and we hope that this doesn’t mean the party will continue with the somewhat haphazard ways in which we have been constructing our energy infrastructure for much of the last decade. We’d love to see Labour put forward more detail and a clearer vision for the UKs energy future, beyond a commitment to create an “Energy Security Board”, whose role is currently unclear.