Will Wes Streeting Really Ditch Ed Miliband's Net Zero Targets?

It's as clear as mud, with the Labour leadership hopeful promising yet more 'green growth' cakeism

It’s a headline that was perhaps designed to bypass even the most cynical, clickbait-immune Net Zero-sceptic energy realist. ‘Wes Streeting says Labour should ditch Ed Miliband’s Net Zero targets,’ proclaimed the Daily Mail on Wednesday. It would be huge, were it true. And would signify the growing political rift over Net Zero, globally, regionally and nationally, where there had been consensus, also being evidenced within the current party of government. The day before, Streeting had set out his pitch for the anticipated Labour leadership competition in front of journalists. The bulk of this talk was about the economic reforms necessary to create what Streeting calls “progressive capitalism”. But the Mail‘s talk about scrapping Net Zero was somewhat premature. Labour’s commitment to energy realism remains a somewhat distant prospect.

Nonetheless, there are signs that Streeting puts significantly less emphasis on climate as a major organising principle than the current Government. This follows the recent noises from Al Carns, whose vision for Britain is to recreate the Blairite security state – i.e., the militarisation of the economy, making ‘security’ the state’s central concept, even in domains such as education. Streeting, though no less a Blairite, and perhaps echoing Blair’s recent interventions, argues against such sharp emphasis on militarisation, but claims that “a more dangerous world” requires “industrial capacity, technological strength and national security”, while noting the defence sector’s problems with “procurement, vested interests and inter-service rivalry”. And, of course, industrial and technological strength, as much as national security, require energy that is cheaper.

Consequently, Miliband’s unique targets for Clean Power 2030, which the Blob lobbied hard for, were highlighted by Streeting as unrealistic. According to him:

High energy costs are holding back businesses and households. Electrification is the route to lower bills, cleaner transport, warmer homes, stronger industry and greater energy security. But only if electricity becomes the cheaper, easier and more reliable choice. So cheap electricity should be the organising goal of energy policy.