Co-op boss urges Miliband to support small firms June 19, 2025 The boss of the Co-op has urged Ed Miliband to rectify the host of “far-reaching challenges” impeding small businesses’ net zero efforts, warning that a paucity of cheap finance and planning red tape were getting in the way of firms’ ambitions. In a letter seen by City AM Shirine Khoury-Haq said Britain was at a [...]
King Charles’ Crown Estate to invest £400m in offshore wind supply chain June 17, 2025 King Charles III’s property firm is to invest up to £400m of fresh capital into the UK’s offshore wind supply chain, it has been announced. The Crown Estate has earmarked £350m for investment into the construction of a new port and supply chain infrastructure it said would support “accelerated delivery of UK offshore wind projects.” [...]
Conservatives vow to end oil and gas windfall tax June 12, 2025 Kemi Badenoch will call for an end to the oil and gas windfall tax, in addition to scrapping Labour’s ban on new oil and gas licences, as she seeks to bolster her pro-growth credentials. The Tory leader is expected to announce her party will be “standing up for our oil and gas industry,” in an [...]
How worried should Ed Miliband be about the CBI’s net zero U-turn? June 12, 2025 Is the CBI’s about-face on the cost of net zero a case of shameless opportunism or an overdue conversion to common sense, asks James Ford We are arguably living in an age of screeching political U-turns. The government’s abrupt volte-face over withdrawing the Winter Fuel Allowance is probably the most egregious example. Others would include [...]
Reeves vows to ‘renew’ Britain as Tories say it’s just ‘borrow and spend’ June 10, 2025 Rachel Reeves is expected to focus on regional growth as she unveils £113bn in capital investment as part of her Spending Review on Wednesday. The Chancellor will outline some of the government’s key priorities and will pledge investment aimed at ensuring “people can see a doctor when they need one, know that they are secure [...]
Spending review: Rachel Reeves in standoff over police budgets June 9, 2025 Just 48 hours out from the government’s spending review on Wednesday, Rachel Reeves faces a tax and spend tug-of-war between senior Cabinet ministers and the realities of the public finances. Yvette Cooper looks to be the major remaining holdout, with substantial cuts to Home Office funding expected at the spending review and no funding deal [...]
Government needs to focus on lowering energy costs to sell net zero, polling says June 9, 2025 The government’s embattled net zero mission suffers from a PR problem. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has been tasked with two huge goals: achieving clean power by 2030, and net zero by 2050. According to fresh polling by PR agency Grayling Media, 55 per cent of people think the 2030 clean power target cannot be attained. [...]
Reeves mulls taxpayer-funded subsidy to cut manufacturers’ energy costs June 8, 2025 Rachel Reeves is looking at plans for a £1bn taxpayer-funded annual subsidy to bring down the energy costs for manufacturers after warnings the UK faced “rapid deindustrialisation” without intervention. The Chancellor is facing mounting pressure to lower energy costs for industry with fears high prices are holding back investment opportunities and stifling the country’s competitiveness. [...]
DESNZ shedding nuclear ministers as spending review threatens net zero mission June 6, 2025 The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has lost two ministers in the span of a month in a blow to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. Philip Hunt, nuclear minister, retired less than a year into his tenure, citing wanting to spend more time with his family. He was followed in short succession by [...]
Victims of forced prepayment meter installation to receive £18.6m May 28, 2025 Tens of thousands of Brits are set to receive compensation after being forced to install prepayment devices in their homes. Eight energy suppliers will be writing off debts or providing compensation – valued at a total of £18.6m – to at least 40,000 consumers. This follows a review by Ofgem, the national energy regulator, which [...]