Investment in UK renewable energy is back on track – now let’s secure its future Opinion While the UK’s recent clean energy auction secured a record amount of offshore wind projects, there’s more to be done to sustain this investment momentum, says Samuel Pachoud The results of the recent clean energy auction – Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7, or AR7 – were heralded by the government as a “monumental step” [...]
Tory MP accuses Starmer of ‘blatant lie’ over energy bills claim Economics A Tory backbencher has lashed out at Sir Keir Starmer for a “blatant lie” after he praised a drop in the energy price cap set by Ofgem. Katie Lam, who has weighed in on issues ranging from growth to immigration, said energy bills under Labour had spiked since it took to power in mid-2024. She [...]
New EV charges threaten fragile consumer confidence Telecoms The UK government wants Britain to go electric, but carmakers are under strict sales targets, grants have been extended, and billions are being funnelled into infrastructure. But at street level, the case for switching still depends on whether the switch will actually save drivers money. That question has become sharper in recent weeks, with TfL [...]
Why the net zero transition is not about building more wind turbines February 11, 2026 The UK is electrifying faster than it is building the infrastructure to support it. The transition won’t fail because we can’t generate enough power, but because the grid isn’t stable enough to deliver it. says Emma Parkinson The EV charger story is being treated like a consumer inconvenience – a queueing problem, a pricing problem, [...]
Octopus boss: UK risks ‘falling behind’ without China energy ties February 9, 2026 The boss of Octopus Energy has warned that the UK risks being “left behind” in the clean energy race if it fails to work more closely with China on renewable technology, claiming the country should not ignore China’s advances in wind and clean power manufacturing. He argued that collaboration could cut energy bills and strengthen [...]
Britain’s growth slumps and the Business Secretary scratches his head February 4, 2026 Having spent another day wading through the Epstein-Mandelson email traffic I was going to write another column about how unbelievably grubby the revelations are, but it’s too depressing. So, I thought I’d focus on something more cheerful; the latest downgrades to the UK’s economic growth forecasts. On his visit to China alongside the PM, the [...]
From Net Zero to Nuclear: the skills gap that could stall UK growth January 29, 2026 The UK has no shortage of ambition when it comes to infrastructure. From Net Zero commitments and energy security to rail modernisation, water resilience and nuclear new build, the pipeline of nationally significant projects is substantial. Yet beneath the headlines lies a constraint that threatens to undermine delivery across all of them: a critical shortage [...]
‘Woke’ banknotes: Bank of England orders money printer to follow ESG rules January 29, 2026 The Bank of England is facing backlash over its plans to make a new banknote printer comply with ESG and diversity standards under a “pass or fail” regime. Bank officials have attracted criticism from shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith over their plans to make applicants for the UK’s new money printing contract follow stringent criteria [...]
Where does Britain stand in the New World Order? January 22, 2026 A new world order has been declared and described by Canada’s Mark Carney. Is he right, and if so, is there room in it for Britain? Davos, that alpine gathering of the great and the good, is normally a predictably dull affair. To give you a flavour of its worthiness, consider the formal title for [...]
UK’s net zero drive singled out in Trump attacks January 21, 2026 The UK’s net zero policies were singled out in President Trump’s long tirade against European energy struggles at the World Economic Forum in Davos. President Trump described the UK economy’s struggles in stark terms, suggesting that the Labour government had disregarded “one of the greatest reserves in the world” at the North Sea. In his [...]