
Labour MPs tell Keir Starmer to cut Net Zero levies on industry or risk killing off Brit manufacturing jobs
They say oil and gas producers in particular are at risk of shutting up shop and being moved abroad because of the barmy rules.
1
The report is a major challenge to the PM's hugely controversial Net Zero policies.
British factories are slapped with massive charges for every tonne of carbon they produce.
But other big countries - including China and the US - have far lower levies or none at all.
In a new hard-hitting report, the Commission for Carbon Competitiveness calls for these levies to be urgently eased to save jobs.
Labour MP Henry Tufnell, chairman of the commission, said: 'We cannot afford to sleepwalk into a future where the UK achieves its climate goals through deindustrialisation, putting vital jobs at risk.
"Britain needs to be able to compete with the big industrial powers, like China and the United States.
'To do that we need a level playing field. That is what this report is calling for.'
They want UK companies to get free credits to produce carbon under the UK's Emissions Trading Scheme, and ignore the threat of legal action by the World Trade Organisation.
Red Wall Labour MP for Grimsby Melanie Onn also backed the report.
It comes after the OBR warned that the government's policy of hitting Net Zero by 2050 will cost an eye-watering £803 billion over the next 25 years.
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South Wales Guardian
17 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Trump envoy arrives in Kyiv as US pledges Patriot missiles to Ukraine
Mr Trump teased last week that he would make a 'major statement' on Russia on Monday. The president made quickly stopping the war one of his diplomatic priorities, and has increasingly expressed frustration about Russian president Vladimir Putin's unbudging stance. Mr Putin 'talks nice and then he bombs everybody', Mr Trump said late on Sunday, as he confirmed America was sending Ukraine badly needed US-made Patriot air defence missiles to help it fend off Russia's intensifying aerial attacks. Russia has spread terror in Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv, with hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles that Ukraine's air defences are struggling to counter. June had the highest monthly civilian casualties of the past three years, with 232 people killed and 1,343 wounded, the UN human rights mission in Ukraine said on Thursday. Russia launched 10 times more drones and missiles in June than in the same month last year, it said. This has happened at the same time as Russia's bigger army is making a new effort to drive back Ukrainian defenders on parts of the 620-mile (1,000km) front line. A top ally of Mr Trump, Republican senator Lindsey Graham, said on Sunday that the conflict was nearing an inflection point as Mr Trump showed growing interest in helping Ukraine fight back against Russia's full-scale invasion. It was a cause that Mr Trump had previously dismissed as being a waste of US taxpayer money. 'In the coming days, you'll see weapons flowing at a record level to help Ukraine defend themselves,' Mr Graham said on the CBS news network. He added: 'One of the biggest miscalculations Putin has made is to play Trump. And you just watch, in the coming days and weeks, there's going to be a massive effort to get Putin to the table.' Meanwhile, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte was due in Washington on Monday and Tuesday. He planned to hold talks with Mr Trump, secretary of state Marco Rubio and defence secretary Pete Hegseth as well as members of Congress. Talks during the visit by Mr Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired general Keith Kellogg, would cover 'defence, strengthening security, weapons, sanctions, protection of our people and enhancing co-operation between Ukraine and the United States', the head of Ukraine's presidential office, Andrii Yermak, said. 'Russia does not want a ceasefire. Peace through strength is President Donald Trump's principle, and we support this approach,' Mr Yermak said. Russian troops conducted a combined aerial strike at Shostka, in the northern Sumy region of Ukraine, using glide bombs and drones early on Monday morning, killing two people, the regional prosecutor's office said. Four others were injured, including a seven-year-old, it said. Overnight from Sunday in to Monday, Russia fired four S-300/400 missiles and 136 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine, the air force said. It said that 61 drones were intercepted and 47 more were either jammed or lost from radars mid-flight. Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry said its air defences downed 11 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions on the border with Ukraine, as well as over the annexed Crimea and the Black Sea.


Powys County Times
18 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Trump envoy arrives in Kyiv as US pledges Patriot missiles to Ukraine
US president Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia has arrived in Kyiv, a senior Ukrainian official said, as anticipation grew over possible changes in the Trump administration's policies on the more than three-year war. Mr Trump teased last week that he would make a 'major statement' on Russia on Monday. The president made quickly stopping the war one of his diplomatic priorities, and has increasingly expressed frustration about Russian president Vladimir Putin's unbudging stance. Mr Putin 'talks nice and then he bombs everybody', Mr Trump said late on Sunday, as he confirmed America was sending Ukraine badly needed US-made Patriot air defence missiles to help it fend off Russia's intensifying aerial attacks. Russia has spread terror in Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv, with hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles that Ukraine's air defences are struggling to counter. June had the highest monthly civilian casualties of the past three years, with 232 people killed and 1,343 wounded, the UN human rights mission in Ukraine said on Thursday. Russia launched 10 times more drones and missiles in June than in the same month last year, it said. This has happened at the same time as Russia's bigger army is making a new effort to drive back Ukrainian defenders on parts of the 620-mile (1,000km) front line. A top ally of Mr Trump, Republican senator Lindsey Graham, said on Sunday that the conflict was nearing an inflection point as Mr Trump showed growing interest in helping Ukraine fight back against Russia's full-scale invasion. It was a cause that Mr Trump had previously dismissed as being a waste of US taxpayer money. 'In the coming days, you'll see weapons flowing at a record level to help Ukraine defend themselves,' Mr Graham said on the CBS news network. He added: 'One of the biggest miscalculations Putin has made is to play Trump. And you just watch, in the coming days and weeks, there's going to be a massive effort to get Putin to the table.' Meanwhile, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte was due in Washington on Monday and Tuesday. He planned to hold talks with Mr Trump, secretary of state Marco Rubio and defence secretary Pete Hegseth as well as members of Congress. Talks during the visit by Mr Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired general Keith Kellogg, would cover 'defence, strengthening security, weapons, sanctions, protection of our people and enhancing co-operation between Ukraine and the United States', the head of Ukraine's presidential office, Andrii Yermak, said. 'Russia does not want a ceasefire. Peace through strength is President Donald Trump's principle, and we support this approach,' Mr Yermak said. Russian troops conducted a combined aerial strike at Shostka, in the northern Sumy region of Ukraine, using glide bombs and drones early on Monday morning, killing two people, the regional prosecutor's office said. Four others were injured, including a seven-year-old, it said. Overnight from Sunday in to Monday, Russia fired four S-300/400 missiles and 136 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine, the air force said. It said that 61 drones were intercepted and 47 more were either jammed or lost from radars mid-flight. Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry said its air defences downed 11 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions on the border with Ukraine, as well as over the annexed Crimea and the Black Sea.


Telegraph
23 minutes ago
- Telegraph
How to earn up to £715 – just by switching bank accounts
Do you make money by regularly switching bank accounts? Get in touch with money@ During the past year, fewer than one in five of us (17pc) switched bank accounts. But, ditching your current account isn't just an opportunity to get better rates or customer service, it can also be an easy way to earn a bit of extra cash. In fact, if you're prepared to keep switching, you could bank up to £715, based on the switching incentives currently being offered by some of the best-known banks and building societies on the high street. Telegraph Money takes a closer look at the offers that are currently up for grabs and everything you need to know to cash in. Which banks are offering a cash incentive? Can I keep churning my current account? What to think about before you switch Which banks are offering a cash incentive? Lloyds Bank: £185 To claim £185 from Lloyds you'll need to switch to a Club Lloyds, Club Lloyds Silver, Club Lloyds Platinum or Lloyds Premier Account. Unfortunately Lloyds' only fee-free account is not included in this offer. The cheapest account in the range is Club Lloyds, which charges £5 a month – but the cost will be refunded if you pay in £2,000 or more each month. You'll also need to use the Current Account Switch Service and move three direct debits. But act quickly as the offer runs out on July 28. You also can't take advantage of this offer if you have claimed a switching offer from Lloyds, Bank of Scotland or Halifax since April 2020. Is it worth switching to Lloyds? If you bank with Lloyds it will be free to use your card overseas and claim a perk such as 12 months of Disney+ or six cinema tickets. You can also access a regular savings account that pays 6.25pc on savings between £25 and £400 a month. When will I be paid? You should get your £185 within 10 days of making the switch. Santander: £180 You can get £180 from Santander if you open an adult current account, including its free Everyday account. All you need to do after completing the switch with the Current Account Switch Service is pay £1,500 into your account and move at least two qualifying direct debits over. You can't take advantage of this offer, however, if you had a current account with Santander on January 1 2025, or you have already claimed a switching incentive from the bank. There's currently no advertised end date for the offer, but it may be withdrawn at any point. Is it worth switching to Santander? Santander offers a choice of current accounts. The fee-free everyday account is a pretty basic offering. To access free card use overseas and the bank's trademark cashback, you'll need to open an Edge or Edge Up account, which charge £3 and £5 a month respectively. These accounts pay cashback on bills, travel and supermarket shopping, but note this benefit will be scaled back to just bills in September. Caps on cashback are higher with Edge Up. When will I be paid? Santander will pay £180 into your current account 90 days after you request the switch (eligibility for the offer is checked on day 60). NatWest: £125 plus £50 NatWest is currently paying £125 to new customers who switch to a current account with the bank, including its fee-free Select Account. There's also the opportunity to earn a further £50 if you open a digital regular saver within 60 days of your current account switch. To qualify for the £125 payment, you'll need to pay in £1,250 (either in one go or with multiple payments) and this money must stay in your account for at least 24 hours. You'll also have to download and log into the NatWest banking app. Is it worth switching to NatWest? Similar to many of the new app-only banks, NatWest offers customers a range of budgeting tools, even with its basic fee-free Select account, to help you track your spending. It also has a round-up service, which rounds up your 'change' and pays it into a linked savings account. Its paid-for Reward account might also be worth considering. It charges £2 a month, but pays £4 a month on two regular direct debits, and £1 a month just for logging on to the app. That alone would leave you £36 up over a year. There's also 1pc cashback when you shop with partner retailers (including Ikea, Waitrose and Morrisons). When will I be paid? Once you have met all the required criteria, you should get £125 paid into your account in 30 days. If you have also opened a regular saver, you'll get a further £50 within 30 days of receiving your £125 payment. First Direct: £175 Switch to First Direct's simple fee-free current account using the Current Account Switch Service and you could be eligible for £175. All you need to do to qualify is transfer two direct debits or standing orders, pay in £1,000 and make five payments with your debit card within 45 days of opening the account. There's no deadline on this offer, but First Direct warns it can be withdrawn at any point. The offer is also not available if you're already a First Direct customer or you have opened an HSBC account since January 1 2018. Is it worth switching to First Direct? Fans of First Direct rate its telephone banking service. You won't have to deal with automated messages and will get put through to a human straight away. It also offers a fee-free £250 overdraft buffer, and it is free to use your card overseas. When will I be paid? According to First Direct, you'll be paid on the 20th of the month if you meet all of the criteria. Can I keep churning my current account? Most people use the Current Account Switch Service – which guarantees to process the switch in seven working days – to get a new account and stick with it. The incentive is just the nudge that's required to get you to rethink who you bank with. However, if you've got the appetite to cash in on these offers, and are prepared to put in a bit of effort, we estimate you could earn up to £715 before next spring by making successive switches. The key is that you haven't switched accounts and claimed an incentive in the past few years as that will usually preclude you from the current range of offers. You also need to be very organised to ensure you meet the criteria required to get the payment and beat the offer deadlines.