Latest news with #GrahamLeadbitter
Daily Record
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
SNP urges UK Government to speed up smart meter roll out after RTS switch-off delayed
EXCLUSIVE: Nationalist MP Graham Leadbitter has called for "a cast iron guarantee to Scottish communities that never again will they be left to live in fear of their hot water supply being cut-off and their electricity supply disrupted." The SNP has urged the UK Government to speed up the roll out of smart meters after the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) switch-off was delayed. Nationalist MP Graham Leadbitter has called for "a cast iron guarantee to Scottish communities that never again will they be left to live in fear of their hot water supply being cut-off and their electricity supply disrupted." It was announced on Wednesday evening that there would be a 'managed and more controlled start' to the RTS phaseout from June 30, instead of a hard switch off. The RTS system, used by older electricity meters to control heating and hot water, uses a longwave radio frequency to switch between peak and off-peak rates. The technology is becoming obsolete and energy companies had a deadline to change their customers' meters by June 30. But firms admitted the current rates of replacement meant it was likely that thousands of RTS meters would not have been upgraded before the technology is switched off. In Scotland there were 100,000 people at risk of disruption - one third of all homes awaiting the smart meter upgrade. Leadbitter said in a letter to energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh: "The decision to delay the radio teleswitch shutdown is welcome given the doomed deadline was never going to be met with 100,000 Scottish households under threat of disrupted supply and increased costs. "As you will be aware, the SNP has consistently called for a delay to the shutdown with Scottish homes disproportionately impacted. "One third of all the homes awaiting a smart meter upgrade in advance of the switch-off were in Scotland leaving Scottish customers once again left to bear the brunt of a broken UK energy system. "It was completely unacceptable for the UK Government to leave families in the lurch until just two weeks from the deadline when this issue has been identified and apparent for months. "Indeed, the Scottish Government wrote to you regarding the slow roll-out of smart meters in March with warnings from charities frequently reported to your government. "Now, the UK Government must set out how it will increase the pace of the smart meter roll-out and most importantly, provide a cast iron guarantee to Scottish communities that never again will they be left to live in fear of their hot water supply being cut-off and their electricity supply disrupted." The UK Government was approached for comment.
Morocco World
27-03-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
UK: British Companies Are Free to Do Business in Morocco's Western Sahara
Rabat – The UK government has made it clear that UK businesses are free to operate in Morocco's southern provinces in Western Sahara, reaffirming that companies can make their own decisions on trade and investment in the region. This position was outlined by Minister of State for Trade Policy, Douglas Alexander, in response to a parliamentary question in which he compared the status of Israeli settlements in Palestine to economic activity in Morocco's southern provinces. Scottish National Party MP Graham Leadbitter had asked whether the UK would ban trade and investment with what he called 'illegal settlements' in both Western Sahara and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, referencing the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) recent Advisory Opinion. In response , Alexander reaffirmed the UK's view that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law. However, his stance on Morocco's southern provinces in Western Sahara was noticeably different. 'It is for companies to take their own decisions on whether to do business in Western Sahara,' the minister said, making no mention of any restrictions or legal concerns regarding trade in the region. He added that his country 'continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution.' Algeria and Polisario have been repeatedly attempting to draw a misleading comparison between the Western Sahara dispute and the Palestinian conflict. Such attempts from Algeria's regime continue to interfere in Morocco's domestic affairs as part of its policy of supporting and harboring separatism in the country's southern provinces. The UK government's recent response is another blow to Algeria's regime and Polisario as it marks a clear distinction between the UK's position on Western Sahara and its stance on Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. While the UK explicitly condemns Israeli settlements as illegal under international law and denies them preferential trade agreements, it refrains from imposing any similar restrictions on economic activity in Morocco's southern provinces in Western Sahara. A positive direction, but much room for improvement On the surface, the UK's statement appears to acknowledge Morocco's position over the region by leaving business decisions in the hands of companies, rather than incorrectly labeling the territory as 'occupied' or imposing trade barriers. However, the UK continues to avoid taking a definitive stance in favor of Morocco's sovereignty and stops short of the full recognition that many Moroccan, as well as British, officials and international allies have called for. This cautious approach stands in contrast to growing calls within the UK for a stronger commitment to Morocco's territorial integrity. Last year, more than 30 MPs and Peers signed a letter to then Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron, urging the UK to recognize Morocco's Autonomy Plan as the most viable solution to the Western Sahara dispute. The letter stressed Morocco's strategic importance as a stable partner in North Africa, especially in the wake of rising instability in the Sahel and the Middle East. 'Morocco stands paramount among these partner nations, it is a top strategic ally in North Africa, with shared values and perspectives crucial to both our countries,' it reads. Similarly, in October, British MP Andrew Murrison reiterated his call for the UK to align itself with key allies, including the US, France, Spain, and Germany, who have explicitly endorsed Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara. Murrison argued that the UK must establish a stronger diplomatic presence in Laayoune and Dakhla to reinforce its support for Morocco's territorial integrity. He added that Morocco's Autonomy plan represents 'the only credible option.' Despite its pragmatic stance on trade, the UK remains reluctant to take the next logical step, which is the formal recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. More than any other country, Britain has a historical responsibility to do so, given its longstanding diplomatic and trade relations with Morocco. The Treaty of March 13, 1895, explicitly recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara, a fact that should guide the UK's modern foreign policy.
Ya Biladi
27-03-2025
- Business
- Ya Biladi
UK rejects call to ban investments in Western Sahara
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer has rejected a request from a member of parliament to ban British companies from investing in Western Sahara. «It is for companies to take their own decisions on whether to do business in Western Sahara», the government responded to a written question from Graham Leadbitter, a Scottish National Party (SNP) MP. Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, reiterated that «the UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution». This response mirrors that of Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, who recently addressed a similar question from a pro-Polisario MP urging the Spanish government to ban airlines from operating flights to the Sahara. «Decisions by private airlines are made between the companies themselves and the relevant civil aviation authorities; therefore, they are technical decisions», Albares stated. In August 2024, the Labour government clarified in parliament that it does not consider «commercial activities in Western Sahara illegal, provided they respect the interests of the Sahrawi people». This stance aligns with a December 5, 2022, ruling by the British High Court, which rejected an appeal from the NGO Western Sahara Campaign UK (WSCUK) seeking to annul the Association Agreement between Morocco and the UK, which includes products from the Sahara. In January, the Labour government appointed MP Ben Coleman as the new trade envoy for Morocco and West Africa.
