Latest news with #Blunkett
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
First Tony Blair and now David Blunkett: Ex-home secretary becomes the latest Labour grandee to warn against Keir Starmer's Net Zero push
Lord David Blunkett has become the latest Labour grandee to warn against Sir Keir Starmer 's Net Zero push. The former home secretary said a failure to reduce energy prices in Britain would see Labour's green policies become 'electorally toxic'. The Labour peer also put pressure on the Government to not leave the UK totally reliant on electricity. He pointed to recent blackouts in Spain and Portugal as a 'timely reminder of just how dependent we are on electricity supply'. Lord Blunkett's intervention comes a week after Sir Tony Blair, the former Labour PM, criticised any strategy that limits fossil fuels in the short term as 'doomed to fail'. The ex-premier argued the current climate approach 'isn't working', with the debate having 'become irrational'. He also cautioned that Brits would resent 'being asked to make financial sacrifices and changes in lifestyle when they know that their impact on global emissions is minimal'. Sir Tony's extraordinary intervention was followed by a trade union chief lashing out at Energy Secretary Ed Miliband for having 'no plan' to make Net Zero work. Lord Blunkett's intervention comes a week after Sir Tony Blair, the former Labour PM, criticised any strategy that limits fossil fuels in the short term as 'doomed to fail' Unite general secretary Sharon Graham swiped that someone who 'believes in Britain' should be made Energy Secretary. In an article for the Telegraph, Lord Blunkett said Sir Tony's intervention, last week's local election results, and the outages in Spain and Portugal had brought fresh scrutiny of Labour's energy policies. As well as the commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050, Labour also wants to decarbonise the UK's electricity grid by 2030. The big winners of last week's local elections were Reform UK, who gained more than 600 council seats and took control of 10 local authorities. Nigel Farage's party has since vowed to end climate change initiatives in town halls, and to block renewable energy projects in those council areas they now control. Lord Blunkett branded Reform's wish to abandon the drive for Net Zero as 'insane', but he admitted the 'politics of this is genuinely tricky'. 'So far, the moves that have been made (and yes, we as a country have made substantial moves towards net zero) have been at a heavy cost to both industry and domestic users,' he wrote. 'Getting energy prices down quickly is a political imperative if the necessary changes aren't to become electorally toxic. 'Decoupling the price of electricity from the global gas market is an essential move, as is completely changing the terms of reference of the regulator, Ofgem. 'At the moment, we're in a Catch-22 situation, which sees measures taken to reduce the cost of clean energy undermined by price increases, reflecting the world price of carbon. 'In any case, alternatives to total reliance on electricity are surely a no-brainer. 'We need to look creatively at what can be done – both in terms of the use of technology to clean up existing sources of energy, but also to ensure that we can switch to alternatives or make them available for the comfort, well-being and choice of the consumer. 'It is absolutely true that we can accelerate growth by investment in renewables and away from dependence on carbon fuels. 'But it's also true that the price of energy for our industrial base is a major drag on growth and on our competitiveness. We have to square that circle.' Lord Blunkett agreed there was a need for targets in reducing the country's carbon emissions. But he also said there needed to be a 'flexibility to ensure that the drive for a cleaner, more pleasant and safer planet is not undermined by the political victories of those who would reverse all that has been achieved so far'. He added: 'In a democracy, you have to persuade not command people to contribute in their own lives to bringing about change. 'You must ensure that what you're offering is a promise not a punishment, and, above all, you have to listen to them. That is the lesson of the past few weeks.'
Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Lord Blunkett: Net zero push risks making Labour toxic to voters
Labour's net zero push risks making the party 'electorally toxic', Lord Blunkett has said. The Labour peer and former home secretary urged Sir Keir Starmer to take a more flexible approach towards green targets to save businesses and consumers money. It comes days after Sir Tony Blair said net zero policies were ' doomed to fail ' and people were being asked to make financial sacrifices for a 'minimal' impact on global emissions. A spokesman for Sir Tony later insisted he believed Sir Keir's approach was 'the right one' but the intervention has opened a debate in the party about its green policies. Labour suffered heavy losses at last week's local elections to Reform UK, which said it would tear up pledges to achieve clean power by 2030 and net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Lord Blunkett served in Sir Tony's cabinet for eight years and said the former prime minister's intervention, the election results and the recent power outage in Portugal and Spain, must focus minds in No 10. The peer denounced Nigel Farage's pledge to abandon net zero altogether as 'insane' as Reform prepares to block its new councils from installing solar farms or pylons. But he went on to argue that green policies introduced by successive governments – all of which have been backed by Labour – have made both industry and households poorer. Lord Blunkett said: 'In years to come we will need to have protected ourselves from the vagaries of those world events which lead to fluctuations in both the availability and price of oil and gas, never mind the impact on the environment. 'But the politics of this are genuinely tricky. So far, the moves that have been made – and yes, we as a country have made substantial moves towards net zero – have been at a heavy cost to both industry and domestic users. 'Getting energy prices down quickly is a political imperative if the necessary changes aren't to become electorally toxic.' A reliance on green energy was blamed for mass blackouts across the Iberian peninsula that hit millions of people in what is believed to be Europe's biggest power cut. Lord Blunkett called the outage 'a timely reminder of just how dependent we are on electricity supply, and the devastation that can be caused when the lights go out, the trains stop, and charging points fail'. He went on to compare the power cut to Storm Arwen, which hit Scotland and northern England in 2021 and left around 100,000 families without power. 'Those reliant almost entirely on electricity couldn't heat their homes, even where they had ground or heat pumps, couldn't take a warm shower, nor could they use their electric oven, charge their car or connect to the Internet. 'On that occasion it was a natural occurrence,' he said. 'However, it did remind us – as the Blair Institute paper was intended to – that reliance on only one source of energy is not only politically dangerous but practically unwise.' Lord Blunkett said it was vital for Sir Keir and Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, to decouple the price of electricity from the global gas market and to overhaul Ofgem, the regulator. 'It is absolutely true that we can accelerate growth by investment in renewables and away from dependence on carbon fuels, but it's also true that the price of energy for our industrial base is a major drag on growth and on our competitiveness. We have to square that circle.' The Blairite grandee concluded that Sir Keir had to present environmentally friendly policies to voters as 'a promise not a punishment' if he was to sustain public support for net zero. 'Yes, we need targets, we need the ambition and momentum set by deadlines,' Lord Blunkett said. 'But we need the flexibility to ensure that the drive for a cleaner, pleasanter and safer planet is not undermined by the political victories of those who would reverse all that has been achieved so far. 'In a democracy, you have to persuade, not command, people to contribute in their own lives to bringing about change. 'You must ensure that what you're offering is a promise not a punishment, and, above all, you have to listen to them. That is the lesson of the last few weeks.' Labour MPs including Jo White, the chairman of the Red Wall Group of backbenchers, have questioned No 10's messaging on green energy in the wake of the election results. Mr Farage put a vow to 'reindustrialise' Britain at the heart of his pitch to voters in the north of England, and Reform went on to gain full control of Durham and Lincolnshire councils. On Sunday, Khalid Mahmood, a former Labour frontbencher, said his party had 'still got the bourgeoisie in London pulling the strings' and was 'ignoring the working classes'. He told LBC Radio: 'All these ideas like net zero, which we are pushing far above anyone else looking at it… It's costing hugely working people, who have to get up in the morning and get in their van and actually deliver.' Mr Mahmood added: 'What we need to do is get our industries back up. The cost of energy is horrendous at the moment and part of the cost of net zero is the energy cost.' Labour needs to learn lessons of past week and be flexible in green-target drive by Lord Blunkett Last week, three events focussed minds on the politics and practicality of achieving net zero by 2050 and decarbonising the production of electricity over the next five years. The first event saw the Tony Blair Institute publish a report with a foreword from Sir Tony which caused controversy, not so much about its content as the interpretation of what it was saying. Plus, the unfortunate timing just before English local elections on May 1. The second was those elections themselves, including a by-election for a Westminster seat, mayoral and some county council elections, which saw Nigel Farage's Reform UK come out smiling. The third was the outage of power across Spain and Portugal a few days earlier, which was a timely reminder of just how dependent we are on electricity supply and the devastation that can be caused when the lights go out, the trains stop, and charging points fail. This reminded me of an event, three and half years ago, which seems to have faded from memory. A major storm hit Scotland and the north of England and around a hundred thousand families lost power – some of them for more than a week. Those reliant almost entirely on electricity couldn't heat their homes, even where they had ground or heat pumps, couldn't take a warm shower, nor could they use their electric oven, charge their car or connect to the Internet. On that occasion it was a natural occurrence – ironically too frequent because of climate change – that brought down the pylons and caused, for some, much more than simple inconvenience. It was, of course, Scotland and the north of England, so the impact in relation to much of the national media was nowhere near what it might have been had the event happened in the south. However, it did remind us – as the Blair Institute paper was intended to – that reliance on only one source of energy is not only politically dangerous but practically unwise. That is why, in that document, they talked about carbon capture and the continuing use of alternative sources – including, for the time being, natural gas in a world where many are continue to commit to using fossil fuels, and even where a country like Norway is slowing down their transition from the very lucrative oil and gas fields to renewable sources of energy. Reform's policy is insane Which brings me to the local elections. Reform UK is the one party totally committed to abandoning the drive for net zero. Their policy is insane. In years to come we will need to have protected ourselves from the vagaries of those world events which lead to fluctuations in both the availability and price of oil and gas. Never mind the impact on the environment. But the politics of this is genuinely tricky. So far, the moves that have been made (and yes, we as a country have made substantial moves towards net zero) have been at a heavy cost to both industry and domestic users. Getting energy prices down quickly is a political imperative if the necessary changes aren't to become electorally toxic. Decoupling the price of electricity from the global gas market is an essential move, as is completely changing the terms of reference of the regulator, Ofgem. At the moment, we're in a Catch-22 situation, which sees measures taken to reduce the cost of clean energy undermined by price increases, reflecting the world price of carbon. In any case, alternatives to total reliance on electricity are surely a no-brainer. For the reasons I've outlined, we need to look creatively at what can be done – both in terms of the use of technology to clean up existing sources of energy, but also to ensure that we can switch to alternatives or make them available for the comfort, well-being and choice of the consumer. It is absolutely true that we can accelerate growth by investment in renewables and away from dependence on carbon fuels. But it's also true that the price of energy for our industrial base is a major drag on growth and on our competitiveness. We have to square that circle. We need targets but must be flexible Much work is going on – including in my home city of Sheffield where the University of Sheffield, linked to ATM power and mirrored with work elsewhere, is looking to produce 'clean hydrogen', crucial to gradually replacing gas, including for some industrial forms of production. Other innovations such as Small Modular Reactors to ensure that we are not entirely dependent on large nuclear power plants – and that we can regionalise and therefore decouple from the National Grid where it's necessary – would be both a safeguard for our national security and the avoidance of devastating cyber-attacks, but also at times of natural disasters. The Blair Institute report touched on the critical importance of preparation for that eventuality. And so, paradoxically, did a report from the Climate Change Committee, focusing on our existing resilience and amelioration of what is continuing to impact on the sustainability of our planet and the politics of careful, well explained and, where necessary, slower moves towards a common goal. Yes, we need targets, we need the ambition and momentum set by deadlines, but we need the flexibility to ensure that the drive for a cleaner, more pleasant and safer planet is not undermined by the political victories of those who would reverse all that has been achieved so far. In a democracy, you have to persuade not command people to contribute in their own lives to bringing about change. You must ensure that what you're offering is a promise not a punishment, and, above all, you have to listen to them. That is the lesson of the past few weeks.
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Sheffield residents' concern over recycling unit expansion
A recycling site in a Sheffield suburb will be expanded despite objections from local city council has granted permission for a new processing plant at Beeley Wood Recycling Village in Middlewood, and the site can also increase its operating centre's owners, Blue Phoenix, recover minerals and metals from incinerator ash and turn the matter into construction Blunkett, who lives on the nearby Wadsley Park Village development, said: "We just feel like we've not been listened to, we have major issues with noise and dust already. We need them to be good neighbours." Blue Phoenix have managed the site since 2008, and plan to redevelop it in two phases after consent was to the application submitted to Sheffield City Council, the first phase "seeks to enlarge the existing site by incorporating an additional 1.35 hectares of land located to the east".They also propose to increase the height of the existing and proposed new stock piles from the previous approved eight metres, up to 12 metres, and to increase the amount of incinerator bottom ash (IBA) being processed through the site from 200,000 tonnes per annum to 300,000 second phase is a new processing plant facility, and then the demolition of the existing processing plant on site. The applicant added that the development would create two additional full-time jobs. There were 71 written objections to application, including from a number of residents of Wadsley Park Thompson said: "I think when we first moved here it was peaceful but it's got noisier and noisier."The dust that comes across from the big ash pile is a health concern, our youngest daughter has breathing issues so we worry about whether it might be safe and we've had no reassurances."Mr Blunkett, 44, attended the council committee meeting to voice his objections. He said: "The piles of ash are already getting higher and higher, the machines seem to be getting more industrial and there are more HGV trucks passing through."Mr Blunkett's highlighted the "noise pollution" as his biggest concern."We're at the same level as the site across the valley so the sound is amplified, it's like an ampitheatre. You're sat out in the garden or walking to the car, you hear these huge bangs."Chris Rowan, 64, was concerned about the environmental impact of the expansion."It's slap bang in the middle of a residential area, we're above the River Don here and we have salmon coming back. It feels like the wrong place, there are so many redundant industrial waste grounds in Sheffield; why expand here?" In granting the application, the council accepted that an increase in the height of the stockpile would see a "relatively minor visual impact" affecting a number of receptors over a considerable area. The committee concluded that the expansion represented "a useful addition to the waste treatment capacity".The BBC has approached Blue Phoenix for comment. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lord Blunkett urges Starmer to back away from ECHR
Sir Keir Starmer should deport foreign criminals and illegal migrants through deals with designated 'safe' countries that would override the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Lord Blunkett has said. The former home secretary said Sir Keir should consider emulating the approach adopted by Sir Tony Blair's Labour Government where it designated countries as safe in bespoke agreements that 'superseded' the ECHR and enabled it to deport illegal migrants to their home states. Lord Blunkett told The Telegraph it offered a way of overcoming human rights objections, which are currently threatening to undermine Labour's efforts to fast-track returns of foreign criminals and illegal migrants to their home countries. His intervention follows calls by Jack Straw, the former justice secretary, and other Labour members for Sir Keir to back away from the ECHR. The former new Labour cabinet minister said the ECHR was hampering effective border control due to 'expansive, and sometimes inconsistent or incoherent interpretations' of its articles by European judges. Some Labour MPs have also urged ministers to set aside the ECHR and deport foreign criminals. Last week, Jonathan Brash, the MP for Hartlepool, said the Government should exercise its 'perfectly legitimate' right to deport criminals by saying ECHR article eight rights to a family life do not apply in such cases. It follows a series of cases exposed by The Telegraph where illegal migrants or convicted foreign criminals have exploited human rights laws to stay in the UK or halt their deportations. Many have used articles three or eight of the ECHR, which, respectively, protect against persecution and safeguard the right to family life. They include an Albanian criminal who avoided deportation after claiming his son had an aversion to foreign chicken nuggets and a Pakistani paedophile, who was jailed for child sex offences but escaped removal from the UK as it would be 'unduly harsh' on his own children. There are a record 41,987 outstanding immigration appeals, with many based on human rights claims. The backlog has risen by nearly a quarter since September last year and is up nearly 500 per cent from just 7,173 at the start of 2022. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, is considering whether to restrict foreign criminals and illegal migrants from exploiting the ECHR to block their deportations. She is reviewing how Article 8 of the ECHR is being applied by immigration courts to ensure it is being interpreted in a 'sensible' and 'proportionate' way. Lord Blunkett said: 'The real issue is whether [the Government] designates safe countries, which is what we did back in the day. We had a list [of safe countries] that automatically superseded the ECHR because we had made a deliberate decision, a duty. 'We had done the proper background work on whether we believed this was safe within the ECHR and we got away with that. The [Government] needs to be really precise about which countries and why they are safe, whilst obviously taking account of those where there would be a genuine risk. It's never easy.' He said he 'applauded' Theresa May, when she was home secretary, for adopting a similar approach, notably in deporting Abu Qatada, the al-Qaeda hate preacher, to Jordan after he claimed ECHR article three rights that he would be tortured if returned. Lord Blunkett added: 'I can always applaud Theresa May for the agreement that, despite some considerable blockages from the Foreign Office, she managed to obtain with Jordan. 'That kind of highly focused, dedicated diplomacy works. It can open up potential countries for return that previously have been closed.' He believed it was an approach that could counter immigration tribunal judges' concerns over ECHR rights. 'You have to show that you have done the due diligence and get all your ducks in order as to why a country is safe and that you have an agreement with it,' he said. 'You are on secure ground. You need the Home Office and Foreign Office to work together.' Mr Straw made a similar argument where he said the UK's human rights legislation was robust enough for the UK to disregard 'undemocratic' ECHR judgments. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Lord Blunkett urges Starmer to back away from ECHR
Sir Keir Starmer should deport foreign criminals and illegal migrants through deals with designated 'safe' countries that would override the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Lord Blunkett has said. The former home secretary said Sir Keir should consider emulating the approach adopted by Sir Tony Blair's Labour Government where it designated countries as safe in bespoke agreements that 'superseded' the ECHR and enabled it to deport illegal migrants to their home states. Lord Blunkett told The Telegraph it offered a way of overcoming human rights objections, which are currently threatening to undermine Labour's efforts to fast-track returns of foreign criminals and illegal migrants to their home countries. His intervention follows calls by Jack Straw, the former justice secretary, and other Labour members for Sir Keir to back away from the ECHR. The former new Labour cabinet minister said the ECHR was hampering effective border control due to 'expansive, and sometimes inconsistent or incoherent interpretations' of its articles by European judges. Some Labour MPs have also urged ministers to set aside the ECHR and deport foreign criminals. Last week, Jonathan Brash, the MP for Hartlepool, said the Government should exercise its 'perfectly legitimate' right to deport criminals by saying ECHR article eight rights to a family life do not apply in such cases. It follows a series of cases exposed by The Telegraph where illegal migrants or convicted foreign criminals have exploited human rights laws to stay in the UK or halt their deportations. Many have used articles three or eight of the ECHR, which, respectively, protect against persecution and safeguard the right to family life. They include an Albanian criminal who avoided deportation after claiming his son had an aversion to foreign chicken nuggets and a Pakistani paedophile, who was jailed for child sex offences but escaped removal from the UK as it would be 'unduly harsh' on his own children. There are a record 41,987 outstanding immigration appeals, with many based on human rights claims. The backlog has risen by nearly a quarter since September last year and is up nearly 500 per cent from just 7,173 at the start of 2022. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, is considering whether to restrict foreign criminals and illegal migrants from exploiting the ECHR to block their deportations. She is reviewing how Article 8 of the ECHR is being applied by immigration courts to ensure it is being interpreted in a 'sensible' and 'proportionate' way. Lord Blunkett said: 'The real issue is whether [the Government] designates safe countries, which is what we did back in the day. We had a list [of safe countries] that automatically superseded the ECHR because we had made a deliberate decision, a duty. 'We had done the proper background work on whether we believed this was safe within the ECHR and we got away with that. The [Government] needs to be really precise about which countries and why they are safe, whilst obviously taking account of those where there would be a genuine risk. It's never easy.' He said he 'applauded' Theresa May, when she was home secretary, for adopting a similar approach, notably in deporting Abu Qatada, the al-Qaeda hate preacher, to Jordan after he claimed ECHR article three rights that he would be tortured if returned. Lord Blunkett added: 'I can always applaud Theresa May for the agreement that, despite some considerable blockages from the Foreign Office, she managed to obtain with Jordan. 'That kind of highly focused, dedicated diplomacy works. It can open up potential countries for return that previously have been closed.' He believed it was an approach that could counter immigration tribunal judges' concerns over ECHR rights. 'You have to show that you have done the due diligence and get all your ducks in order as to why a country is safe and that you have an agreement with it,' he said. 'You are on secure ground. You need the Home Office and Foreign Office to work together.' Mr Straw made a similar argument where he said the UK's human rights legislation was robust enough for the UK to disregard 'undemocratic' ECHR judgments.
