Suffolk climate group urges Labour government to make energy security a priority
King Charles will deliver a speech today unveiling more than 35 bills from the new Labour government
Today King Charles III will deliver a speech today, at the State Opening of Parliament, unveiling more than 35 bills from the new Labour government.
10 Downing Street has confirmed that the new laws will prioritise growth, the Government's overarching mission for the year ahead.
However, a climate group in Suffolk says energy security needs to be a priority.
We spoke to Fiona Gilmore, the founder of Suffolk Energy Action Solutions (SEAS), who told us she wants a focus on renewable energies, with infrastructure used to support this moved off-shore to brownfield sites and re-industrialised sites closer to the country's "major hubs":
"I want to see great support for renewable energy in this country. Great support for new methodologies, innovations and techniques to accelerate that.
"This should not be at the expense of communities and their economies a balance needs to be struck.
"What we should be doing is looking at the cost to communities, to economies and to ecology."
"We must stop this before it becomes a tragedy"
She explained that having too many energy projects coming to Suffolk is massively damaging for multiple reasons, on of them being tourism.
She explained how having so much construction in the county will deter tourists from visiting: "The roads will be gridlocked with approximately 1200 HGV's for Scottish Power and the National Grid C Link Nautilus and Line Link projects, and another at least 700 HGV's for Sizewell C...
"Some of the things that make this a very special area to visit will close...
"We must stop this before it becomes a tragedy."
What we know about the speech so far
10 Downing street released a statement revealing the following...
- The legislative programme will support the delivery of the Government's first steps and missions to rebuild Britain
- Focus on improving the prosperity of the country and living standards of working people.
- A bill to enforce tough new spending rules, designed to ensure economic growth: This new bill will strengthen the role of the Office of Budget Responsibility, meaning significant fiscal announcements must be properly scrutinised and that taxpayers' money is respected.
"No time to waste"
In a statement, the Prime Minister said there was "no time to waste" to make sure Labour hits the ground running with these laws, hoping to rebuild the country for the long term.
He said his government is serious about delivering a plan that is sustainable and will " turbo charge growth that will create wealth in every corner of the UK."
He also explained that the Legislation brought forward today will "enact announcements made this week".
This includes...
- The launch of a National Wealth Fund: To drive investment into the UK
- A new Mission Control tasked with turbocharging UK: To clean power by 2030.
- To open the recruitment of a new border security command
Their plans also include the building of houses and infrastructure, better transport, more jobs and securing clean energy.