Sir Keir Starmer has defended Labour’s plan to roll-out more overground pylons after using his conference speech to insist the move will reduce energy bills.
The Prime Minister, who delivered his speech at the ACC in Liverpool at 2pm today, will likely face some backlash from local resident groups after vowing to pursue the controversial strategy.
Confirming his intention to bring more pylons to Britain, Starmer said: “If we want cheaper electricity, we need new pylons overground otherwise the burden on taxpayers is too much.”
The Prime Minister was forced to defend the plans to build pylons, electricity substations and solar farms across the East of England just a few days ago.
Starmer’s speech reiterated his main concern is about cutting energy prices.
The average annual bill for typical gas and electricity consumption is £1,568, well-below the level of £2,380 level under the Energy Price Guarantee from October 2022 to June 2023.
However, households will likely face an average rise of £149 from October under Ofgem’s new price cap.
Labour’s decision to axe Winter Fuel Payments for 10 million pensioners also ensured prices will soar in certain households.
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Despite axing Winter Fuel Payments, Starmer is convinced Labour will introduce the right provisions to protect pensioners.
He said: “Stabilising the economy is the first of this long-term plan. The only way we keep prices low, cut NHS waiting lists, and secure the triple lock so that every pensioner in this country – every pensioner will be better off with.”
However, Starmer will also face a backlash to his pylon plan from MPs and local councils.
Local resident groups tend to express fears about the impact on the local area.
National Grid’s pylons are a minimum of 36 metres tall, with the largest reaching as high as 190 metres.
During his speech to delegates in Liverpool, the Prime Minister confirmed the new state-run green generation company GB Energy was being set up in Scotland.
“We said GB Energy – our publicly-owned national champion, the vehicle that will drive forward our mission on clean energy – we said it belonged in Scotland.
“Today I can confirm that the future of British energy will be powered, as it has been for decades by the talent and skills of the working people in the Granite City with GB Energy based in Aberdeen.”
