Latest news with #KirstyBlackman
Epoch Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
UK Losing ‘Mission Critical' Net Zero Supply Chain as Projects, Talent Move Overseas: Report
The UK is losing 'mission critical' supply chain capacity needed to deliver net zero, the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) has warned, highlighting an 'alarming exodus' of workers and projects relocating abroad. In its 41st Energy Transition survey, The survey found that two-thirds of these firms expect to increase their overseas staffing in the next five years. Many also expect that most of their work will be based abroad by 2030, with this shift possibility beginning as early as 2027–28. According to the survey, almost half (46 percent) say that staff are already leaving to find work in international regions, triggered by a lack of viable energy projects in the UK, as well as weak domestic confidence. Only 5 percent said that they were losing workers to the renewables industry, which authors said reflected a lack of projects. The report, published in association with renewables energy group D2Zero and business advisers Johnston Carmichael, said: 'Despite the UK's stated ambition to lead the energy transition, the report shows that activity across renewables, electrification and decarbonisation technologies remains flat. 'Companies warn that the current trajectory could permanently undermine the UK's ability to deliver net zero using domestic supply chains.' Related Stories 5/23/2025 3/25/2025 The survey's findings come as others, including SNP MP Kirsty Blackman, have No Net Zero Without Industrial Base Russell Borthwick, chief executive of the AGCC, called the survey a 'wake-up call for policymakers.' He said: 'You cannot deliver net zero by exporting your industrial base. If we continue to erode competitiveness through incoherent energy policy and excessive taxation, we risk offshoring the entire supply chain that is essential to the UK's future energy system.' Mark Stewart, head of energy, infrastructure, and sustainability at Johnston Carmichael, said the report reflects what many of their clients are saying. Firms have told Johnston Carmichael that inconsistent and uncertain energy policies now pose a greater threat to investment than global market trends or commodity prices. He added his company has also noted a growing trend of capital and skilled workers moving overseas, particularly in areas like offshore wind, carbon capture, and other decarbonisation technologies. 'The energy transition isn't failing because of a lack of ambition—it's failing because of a lack of execution. Businesses are ready to invest, innovate, and diversify, but they need stable, predictable conditions to do so. Right now, the economics simply don't stack up for many green projects,' Stewart said. Next Generation of Energy Jobs The warnings from business leaders come after Blackman told fellow MPs in April that the rate of job creation in the renewables market is failing to keep pace with the decline of the oil and gas industry. As a result, experienced North Sea workers may seek opportunities abroad. The SNP MP cautioned that this could lead to a critical skills shortage, which could impact the government's plans to expand the UK's renewable energy sector. The BP ETAP (Eastern Trough Area Project) oil platform in the North Sea, 100 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland, on Feb. 24, 2014. Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images In response to the AGCC's report, a British government spokesperson told The Epoch Times: 'The government recognises that oil and gas production in the North Sea will be with us for decades to come and is committed to managing the energy transition in a way that supports jobs in both existing and future industries. 'We have taken rapid steps to deliver the next generation of good jobs for North Sea workers in a fair and orderly transition as part of our Plan for Change—including the biggest investment in offshore wind and two first-of-a-kind carbon capture and storage clusters.' The spokesperson added that this comes alongside the formation of Great British Energy, which has previously announced a £300 million investment in British supply chains. 'Just Transition' for Workers Last week, a report by the Just Transition Commission The Scottish Government told The Epoch Times that workers 'are at the heart of Scotland's just transition to net zero,' and it was working with the energy sector to plan for a multi-skilled workforce which can adapt to different roles as the sector evolves. 'We will continue to work together with organisations and workers across the region to ensure people and the communities they live in continue to thrive,' the Scottish Government said.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Government delays publication of child poverty strategy
The government's child poverty strategy, which had been due for publication in the spring, has been Child Poverty Taskforce is still working on the strategy and has been considering, among other measures, whether to scrap the two-child benefit cap, a move some Labour MPs have long been calling BBC has been told the strategy could be set out in the autumn in time for the Budget, allowing ministers to say how any policy changes would be paid to the Mirror, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: "We will publish that strategy and set out how we will pay for it and you will, I'm afraid, have to wait." A senior No 10 source said the government was not waiting to take action to tackle child poverty, pointing to the roll out of free breakfast clubs, benefits uprating and the rise in the minimum delay, which was first reported by the Guardian newspaper, was branded "disgraceful" by the SNP. The party's work and pensions spokeswoman Kirsty Blackman accused Labour of being "more interested in imitating Nigel Farage than tackling the scourge of child poverty, which has risen to record levels on Keir Starmer's watch". However, Helen Barnard, director of policy at the Trussell Trust charity said the delay "may be good news".In a social media post, she said: "Better a delayed child poverty strategy with measures to really protect children from hunger and hardship, than one hitting the deadline but falling short on substance."The Child Poverty Taskforce - which is being co-chaired by Kendall and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson - was launched last came at a time when the prime minister was coming under pressure from the SNP and some of his own MPs to scrap the two-child benefit policy - which prevents most families from claiming means-tested benefits for any third or additional children born after April 2017 - was introduced in 2017 by the then-Conservative government and is estimated to affect 1.5 million coming into government last year, Labour ministers argued that they did not have the resources to lift the cap. At the time, Sir Keir Starmer said there was no single policy that could solve a complex problem."The point of the taskforce is to devise a strategy, as we did when last in government, to drive these numbers down," he told the House of Commons. Seven Labour MPs were suspended from the parliamentary party for voting against the government on an amendment to scrap the cap. Four of these were readmitted in February but the remainder continue to sit as independent MPs. Pressure to remove the cap has remained, with Labour figures such as former Prime Minister Gordon Brown saying it was "condemning children to poverty". Concerns over the cap are part of a wider discussion in the Labour Party about benefit this week, Neil Duncan-Jordan Poole MP told the BBC there is "a very healthy debate inside the Labour Party at the moment about how we should be raising funds rather than cutting benefits".On Wednesday, the prime minister announced a U-turn on removing winter fuel payments from all but the poorest pensioners. In the House of Commons, he said he would make changes to allow "more pensioners" to qualify for the money, but did not provide details on how many people this would affect or when the change would be implemented. Labour backbench worries about the winter fuel payment - and other cuts to benefits - have intensified since the party's poor performance in the recent local elections. There is also criticism from the some in the Labour ranks over the government's cuts to disability benefits, which will be voted on next month.
Epoch Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Energy Workers Face ‘Unjust Transition' Amid Shift Away From Oil and Gas, Says Report
Without swift action and investment, Scotland's oil and gas workers face an 'unjust transition,' as the industry shifts from fossil fuels to renewable energy. In its report Report authors warned that without clear plans, job opportunities, and training schemes, communities and the local economy could suffer, as workers struggle to find roles in a post-fossil fuel energy landscape. The commission added that it had visited several meetings to speak with oil and gas workers in Aberdeen and the north east, who 'No Plan' The Just Transition Commission, which provides independent scrutiny and advice to governments on the energy transition, said that there is 'still no transition plan for oil and gas workers.' The commission said that workers, industry, businesses, and communities need the government to outline a clear plan for creating job pathways for oil and gas workers, including roles in renewables and decommissioning. It also called for the creation of new green jobs and better preparation to manage potential economic shocks. Authors wrote: 'Accelerated deployment of offshore clean energy is essential and for this to happen employment in the offshore wind and associated transition industries must be made more attractive. Related Stories 4/24/2025 4/4/2025 'Renewables have a key role to play in delivering a just transition provided robust minimum standards are achieved across the industry for pay, conditions, health and safety regulation and union recognition.' Plan for Training Needed The report notes that 'a very significant portion of the current oil and gas supply chain workforce is highly transferable to renewables.' The commission said that a 'clear plan for training' was needed to retain this skilled workforce. This is key, not only to ensure locals remain employed, but to support the national and Scottish governments' aims to decarbonise the grid. 'There is a risk that a disorderly transition will lead to the loss of skilled workers in Scotland who might otherwise switch from oil and gas to renewables,' the report said. Similar concerns were expressed in Westminster last month, when the SNP's Kirsty Blackman A wind turbine at the Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm, under construction around 27 kilometres from the coast of Montrose, Angus, Scotland, in the North Sea, on June 8, 2023. Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images Oil and gas workers have high levels of skill transferability, and as drilling processes vary little around the world, they could find well-paying jobs abroad, such as in Dubai. Blackman cautioned that this could lead to a critical skills shortage in Scotland, which could impact the government's plans to expand the UK's renewable energy sector. Workers 'at Heart of Just Transition to Net Zero' The commission called on the UK and Scottish governments to work with each other 'to bridge the widening jobs gap, and so ensure the UK retains, supports and enhances the skilled workforce required for the transition.' The report said: 'The decline of oil and gas production in the North Sea has been underway for a quarter of a century and the current path is not delivering a just transition. 'Without urgent and ambitious action, investment and government leadership, Scotland's offshore transition will not take place fairly, with harmful effects on workers, communities, employers and the regional economy of the North East that could otherwise be avoided.' The Scottish Government told The Epoch Times that it welcomed the Just Transition Commission's work in setting out the issues for the energy transition of industries in Aberdeen and the north east. Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said: 'Workers are at the heart of Scotland's just transition to net zero. The Scottish Government is working with the energy sector to plan for a multi-skilled workforce and enable our skilled offshore workers to carry their experience and expertise into different roles as the sector evolves. 'We will continue to work together with organisations and workers across the region to ensure people and the communities they live in continue to thrive.' A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson told The Epoch Times: 'We have taken rapid steps to deliver the next generation of good jobs for North Sea workers in a fair and orderly transition as part of our Plan for Change, including by making the biggest investment in offshore wind and two first-of-a-kind carbon capture storage clusters. 'This comes alongside Great British Energy, which has already announced a £300 million investment in British supply chains, unlocking significant investment and helping to create thousands of skilled jobs, progressing our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower.'
Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Winter fuel payment: Sir Keir Starmer's Labour urged to reverse other benefit changes after U-turn
Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Labour has been urged to reverse other benefit changes after Sir Keir Starmer announced a partial U-turn over changes to the winter fuel allowance. The policy has resulted in a major backlash and contributed to Reform winning a series of councils, a by-election and one mayoralty. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Pressure has been applied on the UK government to abolish the two-child benefit cap, in a bid to lift kids out of poverty. After the Prime Minister said he would look again at the £11,500 threshold over which pensioners are no longer eligible for the winter fuel allowance, it is believed other policies could also be looked at again, including the two-child benefit cap, or health and disability cuts. The SNP has now written to Sir Keir urging him to think again over the policies, while Scottish Labour MP Brian Leishman implored Sir Keir to drop the two-child benefit cap. It comes as sources claimed the UK government was 'open' to adapting policy as 'the circumstances allow'. In a letter to the Labour leader, SNP work and pensions spokesperson Kirsty Blackman said: "Your decision to strip pensioners of their winter fuel payments has pushed many older people into hardship and caused almost a year's worth of tremendous concern and uncertainty. With energy bills and the cost of living soaring on the Labour government's watch, people will be anxious for more information on what exactly you meant by your comments. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "I am therefore calling on you to scrap your plan to leave people waiting until the autumn for more details and, instead, immediately confirm that there will be a full and immediate U-turn on the Labour Party's cuts to the winter fuel payment, that the payment will be restored as a universal benefit, with payments in place to benefit pensioners by this coming winter - and that any Barnett consequentials will be made available in full to the Scottish Government. Kirsty Blackman, the SNP MP for Aberdeen North. Picture: Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA Wire "I also urge you to use this opportunity to abandon your plan to impose even more austerity cuts to vulnerable people and public services at the upcoming spending review. That means abandoning the planned Labour Party cuts to disability benefits and reversing your decision to continue imposing the two-child benefit cap, which is pushing thousands of Scottish children into poverty. "People in Scotland have lost trust in your government. Voters in Scotland are appalled that the Labour Party has broken its election promises, and chosen to push thousands of children, disabled people and pensioners into hardship and poverty - by imposing austerity cuts and balancing the books on the backs of the poor. "Unless there is a full and immediate U-turn on these austerity cuts, the broken public trust in the Labour government will erode even further.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Leishman, the Alloa and Grangemouth MP, also called for Sir Keir to lift the two-child cap, explaining it would lift almost half a million children out of poverty. The Labour MP said: 'A defining mission of the Labour Party should be alleviating poverty and lifting people out of destitution. Unemployment used to be the reason why families were in poverty, but over three-quarters of people using foodbanks are in employment. 'The government has increased the national minimum wage, but we have to also reform the Universal Credit system so that it genuinely covers the costs of life's essentials of food and shelter. I've worked with both the Trussell Trust and Joseph Rowntree Foundation to promote their Essentials Guarantee.
The National
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
SNP MP calls out Keir Starmer on weapon exports to Israeli government
Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Kirsty Blackman quizzed the Labour leader on the apparent contradiction between his Government's words and their actions. On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy called Israel's government 'extremists' and described the assault of Gaza – in which F-35 fighter jets are used – as 'monstrous' and 'indefensible'. READ MORE: UK sends spy plane over Gaza hours after attacking Israel's actions as 'monstrous' However, he also explicitly said that the UK Government was still sending parts for F-35 jets to Israel – and dismissed official export figures showing that Labour had licensed more military equipment to be sold to Israel in three months than the Tories did in four years as 'clickbait'. Blackman said at PMQs: 'If the Prime Minister agrees that the Israeli government starving children to death is monstrous, why does he think it's OK for the UK to continue to sell Israel the equipment for the fighter jets to drop bombs on these starving children?' Responding, the Prime Minister insisted that sending F-35 parts to Israel was essential to UK military operations. 'What we contribute into a pot is parts for fighter jets, and if we were to stop that, they couldn't be used by other countries in the other conflicts, including those in which we are involved,' he said. READ MORE: Labour see 'massive increase' in UK military equipment sent to Israel In response to an inaudible heckle from the backbenches, Starmer said: 'Doesn't know the detail at all.' He then went on: 'They're not sold directly, they go into a pot. 'If we were to stop that, they wouldn't then be available to others around the world who desperately need them in the conflicts they're engaged in, and that's why we won't do it.'
