Live coverage of UK politics: Rishi Sunak reveals plans to increase oil and gas drilling in the North Sea



From ⁢2h agoKey events2h agoRishi Sunak announces hundreds of new oil and gas licencesFilters BETAKey events (1)Rishi Sunak (4)19m ago05.40 EDT

Labour MP Jess Phillips has said the​ criminal justice system has suffered from “total ‍collapse and ⁤calamity” after her party claimed that more than 90% of crimes go unsolved.

The MP for ​Birmingham Yardley and‌ shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding told⁣ BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on⁤ Monday that criminals have “never had it so good”, ‍adding:

People⁢ don’t expect anyone​ to be caught.

She said there was a shortage of detectives in the country and vowed to recruit more by attracting people from other sectors if Labour wins the next general election.

Phillips added:

The Home Office ​has⁢ watched while charging has dwindled over ⁢the years‍ so that 90% of crimes currently go unsolved.

21m ago05.38 EDT

Fossil⁣ fuels will continue to play a “major role” in Britain’s energy base for years to come, a Conservative MP has said.

Speaking to BBC ​Radio ​4’s Today programme on Monday after ⁤the government announced it would approve 100 new licences for oil and gas production in the North Sea, Andrew Bowie, minister for nuclear and networks, said:

This is about maxing out our oil ‌and gas reserves and that means that we will be much more energy secure and less dependent on hostile actors like Vladimir Putin.

The independent climate change committee understands ​that fossil fuels will play a major role in⁢ our ‌energy base for years to come so ‌we think it’s essential that that fossil fuel comes ⁢from British water, ensuring the revenue comes to the⁢ British exchequer rather than paying to import, which would have a higher CO2 emission and rely on sometimes hostile foreign powers.

Responding to accusations by campaign group Greenpeace that the government’s funding for a carbon capture project in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is “greenwashing”, Bowie⁤ said:

I ‍don’t recognise that. We are committed to reaching net zero by 2050.

We were the first parliament in the world to legislate for that. ‌Carbon capturing plays a major role in delivering that.

23m ago05.36 EDT

The ‌Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA)⁤ has criticised the government’s announcement of support for new oil and gas projects in the North ⁢Sea.

REA chief executive Nina Skorupska said:

If the government are serious ⁢about delivering‍ energy security, while reaching net zero in a pragmatic way, they should be delivering ​the cheapest forms of generation. ⁢This means low-carbon projects that are unaffected by changes in the volatile fossil energy markets, the cause of both increased energy costs and security concerns.

Instead, today, the government are supporting new fossil fuel exploration ​while support ⁢mechanisms like the US‍ Inflation Reduction Act, and ⁢the UK Government’s Electricity Generator Levy, a windfall tax on renewables, is seeing the UK attractiveness for low-carbon investment diminish.

Real energy…

2023-07-31 04:40:37
Article from www.theguardian.com
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