Latest news with #AndrewBowie
The Sun
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Ed Miliband accused of scaremongering in campaign against Net Zero sceptics as he blasts critics
NET Zero minister Ed Miliband is accused of a 'shrill' scare campaign to smear sceptics. He blasted critics of his green policies as 'anti-science, anti-jobs, anti-energy security and anti-future generations'. 1 In a fiery Commons statement, Mr Miliband unveiled plans to make an annual 'state of the climate' address — warning rising temperatures and extreme weather were already hitting Britain. He cited a new Met Office report predicting more heatwaves, floods and risks to food supplies and infrastructure. And he claimed the economic fallout of global warming could reach £200billion by the 2070s. But the Office for Budget Responsibility estimates the cost of reaching Net Zero will hit £800billion by 2050, with most of that from lost fuel tax. Acting Shadow Energy Secretary Andrew Bowie blasted Labour for ramping up 'shrill criticism' and failing to level with the public. He fumed: 'Global warming is a global issue which we cannot face alone. "The global climate challenge will not be solved by the UK alone, and cannot be solved on the backs of British workers. "We are telling the difficult truths — they are running from reality.' Despite the Tories backing Net Zero in government, leader Kemi Badenoch has repeatedly warned sticking to the 2050 target could bankrupt the country. Conservative former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith told Talk: 'The reality here is that the biggest threat to the British way of life is Ed Miliband.'
The Guardian
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ed Miliband says Tories are ‘anti-science' for abandoning net zero consensus
Ed Miliband has accused the Conservatives of being 'anti-science' by abandoning a political consensus on net zero as he gave MPs a stark outline of how the climate crisis and nature depletion are already affecting the UK. In the first of what is promised as an annual 'state of the climate' report, the energy and net zero secretary set out the findings of a Met Office-led study that detailed how the UK is already hotter and wetter, and faces a greater number of extreme weather events. Miliband, who told the Guardian before the statement that politicians who rejected net zero policies needed to be accountable for their decisions, called for opposition parties to unite around the need for urgent action. But speaking after Miliband, Andrew Bowie, a shadow energy minister, criticised what he called the government's 'shrill' language, saying the party was sticking by Kemi Badenoch's decision to ditch the 2050 target for the UK to reach net zero. 'The leader of the opposition has been very clear – chasing net zero by 2050 is unachievable without making the country worse off,' Bowie said, focusing instead on the need for more nuclear power and easier access to air conditioning. 'That is the truth. Global warming is a global issue which we cannot face alone. A global climate challenge will not be solved by the UK alone, and it cannot be solved on the backs of British workers or British billpayers.' He added: 'We are proud to have been a world leader, but it isn't a race if nobody else is running.' Responding to Bowie, Miliband said he felt 'incredibly sad', pointing to the absence of the shadow energy secretary, Claire Coutinho, from the thinly-populated Conservative benches. 'The trouble is, we're in a situation now where the shadow secretary of state goes into hiding when there's a statement about the climate crisis, because it's just too embarrassing to try and articulate the opposition's position,' Miliband said. 'The central chasm at the heart of his response is that he and his colleagues have taken the decision to abandon 20 years of bipartisanship when it comes to climate. 'So what are they? They are anti-science. They are anti-jobs. They are anti-energy security, and they are anti-future generations.' Miliband quoted the former prime minister Theresa May, who put net zero targets into law in 2019 and had argued that the real climate zealots were 'populists who offer only easy answers to complex questions'. He added: 'I couldn't put it better myself.' Miliband told MPs that the idea of the annual climate and nature statement came from Roz Savage, the Liberal Democrat MP whose climate and nature bill was dropped in exchange for some government concessions. Talking about how the climate was changing, Miliband said: 'The science is unequivocal about why this is happening. As the Met Office said this morning, this is is not a natural variation in our climate.' The effects were already being felt, he said, in rain-affected harvests and nature depletion, arguing that while the UK was a relatively small contributor to emissions it had been a global leader in the response. 'We remain way off track from where we need to be as a world, but we in this country have helped make a difference,' he said. 'The lesson is clear. The choices we make as a country have influenced the cause of global action, and in doing so, reduced the impact of the climate and nature crisis on future generations in Britain. To those who say Britain cannot make a difference. I say: you are wrong. Stop talking our country down. British leadership matters.'
Scotsman
04-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
ScotWind: Mingyang Smart Energy wind power project creates double-edged dilemma over security
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... When the West of Orkney Wind Farm received planning permission from the Scottish Government last month, it was a rare bright spot for a sector that's been bruised by global economic headwinds and domestic regulatory uncertainty for over a year. The decision marks a key step forward in the project's plan for 125 wind turbines to be fixed to the seabed about 30 kilometres west of the Orkney mainland, allowing the generation of enough electricity to power two million homes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It also makes West of Orkney the first of 20 wind farms – collectively known as ScotWind – to be given such consent since Crown Estate Scotland awarded options to develop seabed acreage in the North Sea in 2022. The granting of onshore consent is a significant planning milestone for the Muir Mhòr Offshore Wind Farm project. Yet while the decision will be welcomed by the project's backers – TotalEnergies of France, Renewables Infrastructure Development Group of the UK, and Corio Generation, part of Australia's Macquarie – the mood among most of the other ScotWind developers is anxious. That's because, a thousand miles away in London, consent of a different kind is pending that has greater consequences for the future of ScotWind. Westminster has for months been grappling with whether to allow a Chinese wind turbine manufacturer, Mingyang Smart Energy, to build a wind turbine blade factory in the Inverness area. The deliberations have widened to whether the Chinese company's kit should be used in the UK's offshore wind supply chain at all. The case in favour is economically compelling. Mingyang, like many businesses in China's green tech juggernaut, produces turbines more cheaply than its European rivals. Mingyang's factory would also create hundreds of green jobs in the North-east of Scotland. Small wonder that Holyrood has earmarked £30 million for the project. The investment from Mingyang would be around £120m, attractive for Labour as it tries to attract foreign investment. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The case against boils down to two issues: perceived security threats to the UK's critical national energy infrastructure and supply chain dependency. An aerial view shows wind turbine blades stored on the quayside ready for shipping at the Siemens Gamesa blade factory in Hull. Picture: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images Concerns have been raised by MPs including Andrew Bowie, Nick Timothy, Christine Jardine and Harriet Cross that because the operational software embedded in a turbine remains in the control of the manufacturer after installation, the risk exists that a wind farm using Chinese turbines could be switched off, causing damage to downstream transmission and grid. Cyber espionage is another worry. Germany has already raised a red flag. A paper commissioned from the German Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies by the country's defence ministry this year said that the Waterkant wind farm off the German coast should not go ahead on the grounds of public safety, citing planned use of Chinese wind turbines. For anyone who still thinks this is far-fetched, it's worth reading two recently published government policy documents that lay out the stark geopolitical reality of our times. China is assessed in the Strategic Defence Review as a 'sophisticated and persistent challenge', while the National Security Strategy says: 'Economic coercion will become more common as other states weaponise trade or use export controls and supply chain dependencies to gain advantage." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dependency stems from the fact that more than 60 per cent of ScotWind's wind farms are designed to be floating units in deep waters, unlike the fixed bottom technology used by West of Orkney. Mingyang specialises in floating turbines. The only other manufacturers in the game, Vestas and Siemens-Gamesa, are too financially constrained to develop floating turbines at scale any time soon. They are also busy fulfilling existing orders for fixed-bottom projects. This means that, without Mingyang, much of ScotWind is less likely to materialise, jeopardising the UK's overall offshore wind targets. The government now finds itself on the horns of a geopolitical dilemma. Sir Keir Starmer, on whose desk the Mingyang decision likely now sits, must now navigate between the White House's antipathy towards wind power – expressed yesterday in the gutting of Biden-era tax credits for wind and solar in Trump's 'big beautiful bill' – and China's desire to expand its wind power champions in Europe. Tension flared last month when China's embassy in London slammed as 'groundless' any 'so-called security concerns' over the use of Chinese wind equipment in the UK's energy infrastructure. This came after a report that Washington had warned London about national security risks associated with allowing Mingyang to build a plant in the UK. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The dilemma is complicated by the fact that another Scottish offshore wind project, Green Volt, backed by Eni of Italy and Tokyo Electric Power Company, reportedly intends to use Mingyang turbines. It was the only successful bidder from Scotland at the last government auction that allocates offtake prices, meaning it is well advanced. Allowing Mingyang in with technical and legal safeguards would be one option. Another would be to incentivise Vestas and Siemens-Gamesa to ramp up floating wind turbine technology, providing more flexibility to developers. I understand one measure under consideration is sweetening the terms of the next auction to make it more viable to incorporate Siemens-Gamesa turbines in project plans. Germany might also look at channelling some of the up to €1 trillion recently approved as part of relaxing the 'debt brake' to upgrade its military and infrastructure for its own offshore wind champion, Siemens-Gamesa.
Telegraph
03-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Miliband plots garden windfarm revolution
Ed Miliband has unveiled plans to make it easier for homeowners to install wind turbines in their gardens as part of a mass expansion of green power. The Energy Secretary has announced a consultation on relaxing planning rules governing the construction of turbines on residential and commercial properties. The aim is to make it easier for farmers, people living in semi-detached houses and business owners to install the machines on their land. Garden or rooftop wind turbines can help homeowners and small businesses cut their power bills by generating electricity for direct consumption. Excess power can be used to charge batteries or be sold to the grid. However, a surge in unrestricted development of the devices could prove a flash point in local communities. Andrew Bowie, the shadow energy spokesman, also accused the Mr Miliband of 'trying to turn the nation's suburbs into a giant wind farm'. Details of the consultation emerged in Mr Miliband's new onshore wind strategy, published on Friday, which sets out plans to double onshore wind generation by 2030. Boosting 'small scale' wind power is at the heart of his plans. The proposals were welcomed by environmental campaigners who said they would improve energy security and create jobs. However, wildlife charities raised concerns that Labour's development push could endanger habitats. Under current regulations, only owners of detached homes can install a turbine on their property without seeking planning permission. But Mr Miliband wants to relax the rules to allow property owners to be able to install the machines under so-called permitted development rights, meaning they would no longer have to seek formal planning permission. The Energy Secretary said: 'Onshore wind will play a critical role in boosting our energy independence with clean power by 2030. 'Every turbine we build helps protect families, businesses and the public finances from future fossil fuel shocks ... As part of this, we will consult on how permitted development rights can support the rollout of small-scale onshore wind.' The proposals would allow millions more homeowners to install wind turbines without seeking permission. Only 23pc of UK homes are detached whereas about 55pc are semi-detached or terraced. The consultation will also look at allowing businesses to install turbines without planning permission and consider whether to let bigger machines be installed. Current regulation only allows turbines up to a maximum height of 11.1 meters, or 15 meters when mounted on buildings. Mr Bowie said: 'We are clearly through the looking glass now. Ed Miliband admitting he can't meet his madcap targets without putting wind turbines in every garden in the land. This eco madness needs to end.' Richard Tice, energy spokesman for Reform UK, said: 'This is more madness from Ed Miliband that will despoiling our villages and streetscapes. He is obsessed with running roughshod over people.' The consultation is part of a wider plan to expand the country's onshore wind capacity from 15 gigawatts (GW) to 29GW by 2030. Labour dropped plans for a de facto ban on onshore wind within days of coming to power last year. The UK currently has 9,200 onshore wind turbines but these are mostly old and small. Most are less than 300ft high with a low capacity of 1-2 megawatts (MW). Under Mr Miliband's new strategy, turbines up to 850ft tall and with a capacity of up to 7MW will be built. The UK will need about 2,500 of such machines erected within the next five years, the Energy Secretary believes. Sam Richards, the head of Britain Remade, a pro-growth campaign group, welcomed Mr Miliband's strategy. He said: 'This is a huge step forward. Doubling onshore wind will cut bills, boost energy security, and create tens of thousands of good jobs in every part of the country. Ending the ban was the right call.' Kevin Austin, from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said that while shifting to clean energy was good for the environment, a building boom envisaged by Labour could endanger habitats. He said: 'With the devastating impacts of climate change clearer than ever, delivering renewable energy to help meet our net zero commitments is absolutely critical. 'However, the RSPB remains concerned that at the same time, the Government's Planning and Infrastructure Bill currently going through Parliament risks weakening existing nature protections. 'Urgent amendments to the Bill are needed to ensure it enables development in a way that does not threaten our most precious habitats and wildlife.' Lord Cameron was an early adopter of domestic wind power and had a £3,000 mini-turbine mounted on the roof of his home in Kensington, west London, in 2007. However, it had to be removed after complaints from neighbours. The devices have yet to become popular with the public. Data from MCS, which sets standards for microgeneration, show that only 125 were installed in 2023.
The National
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
YouGov poll predicts result in every Scottish seat – see the full map
According to YouGov's latest MRP poll, if a general election was called today Nigel Farage's party would return MPs in three Scottish constituencies - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, Dumfries and Galloway and Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale. The National analysed the findings from the survey and found that Reform would also come in second place in 16 constituencies, and third place in a staggering 37. In Gordon and Buchan, the poll puts the Tories as holding the seat with 24%, but both the SNP and Reform have the same vote share, pointing to a potential knife-edge race. In our interactive map below, you can compare the projected seats to the result of the 2024 General Election. It shows an evident surge in support for Reform in Scotland, leaving the Tories below 10% in scores of seats across the country. The SNP would become Scotland's largest party once again, with the predictions showing them returning 38 MPs, up from nine. The Shadow Scottish Secretary, Tory MP Andrew Bowie, would lose his West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine seat to the SNP. YouGov put the SNP's support at a similar level to 2017, where they won 35 seats, down from 56 seats in 2015. READ MORE: Patrick Harvie and Angus Robertson face-off over Israel divestment Scottish Labour would lose 27 of their current seats to the SNP and Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock to Reform, taking them to only nine MPs. Top pollster John Curtice said he wasn't 'surprised' by the result of the MRP, having recently analysed YouGov polling from May and June. 'Given that Reform is very geographically fairly evenly spread, you basically would expect them to end up with those second and third places,' he said. 'The kinds of overall numbers they're getting is kind of what you would expect given the fact that Reform in the GB wide polls and in this Reform poll were winning 30% or whatever. 'It didn't suggest that there was any great profound change in the geography of Reform support and Reform are ahead across the UK so don't be surprised that they get the largest party. It's not really.' Curtice said that he also wasn't surprised to see the Scottish Tories at the bottom of the list, along with the LibDems and Scottish Greens, in a number of constituencies. 'The Tories are facing an existential crisis. I mean Reform are having them for breakfast, lunch and dinner,' he added. Patrick English, director of political analytics at YouGov, said: 'Just a year since Labour's election landslide, the party is on course to win fewer seats than it did in 2019,' he said. 'That a clear majority would now vote for someone other than the two established main parties of British politics is a striking marker of just how far the fragmentation of the voting public has gone over the past decade.'
