Starmer defends energy policy after new Blair attack

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has defended the Government’s net zero strategy after Tony Blair repeated calls for a major change on energy policy.

In an essay criticising the Government’s approach across a range of issues, Blair said it was now important to prioritise cheaper energy and electrification over net zero and use what is left of our North Sea oil and gas resources.

“This is essential for our competitiveness and for taking advantage of AI,” he said.

In his response Starmer said although he recognises that Britain cannot unilaterally tackle climate change on its own, he stressed that as a leading G7 economy, its voice and leadership matters.

“While North Sea oil and gas should and will remain part of our energy mix for generations, it is also clearly a depleting source that has no discernible impact on the global price of oil and gas. Even with our own resources, we are now a net importer of fossil fuels and that is the single biggest driver of soaring energy bills bar none.”