New Nuclear is seen as Labour’s approach to not only part of the low-carbon mix, but also part of the active industrial strategy to develop a skilled workforce. There is a continued role for nuclear power in the UK as part of a more sustainable and balanced future energy mix, due to climate change. Schools and Colleges in West Somerset and Bridgwater will play an important role in transforming the skill base for low carbon energy.
Cllr Mick Lerry said: “However, we haven’t built a nuclear power station in this country since 1995. If we’re planning on building more, we need people to do it. Those people need skills and training. If the plan is to build them in the next decade, those people are already in the education system. So we need a skills strategy in place now, which reaches them – and provides all the other skills that a low-carbon economy needs”.
Labour’s active industrial strategy is about rebalancing our economy: supporting growth in our regions and in the manufacturing industry. We don’t just want to be a country that installs products from overseas. We want to manufacture them too. Wind power, solar and hydro generation is a good example.
‘Crucial to increase renewable energy generation’
Wind power is our second largest source of renewable energy and we’re the world’s eighth largest producer. But UK wind farms import 80% of equipment and services from overseas. We have to do more to develop our own supply chain, supporting manufacturing in this country, rather than just in Germany and Denmark. The recent investment by Siemens in Hull is a good example of this strategy.
“It’s crucial to increase our renewable energy generation and cut our carbon emissions. Hinkley C is only part of the development of low carbon energy to rebalance our economy and the Bridgwater and West Somerset Constituency should become a hub for our new green industries”, said Cllr Mick Lerry.
Cllr Mick Lerry – Leader of the Labour Group on Sedgemoor District Council
Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Bridgwater and West Somerset Constituency
Email: michael.lerry@btinternet.com
Mobile: 07775905080
10th April 2014