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Energy Insight: General election 2017 - party manifesto pledges relating to energy

General information about the General Election:

UK Parliament website: General Election 2017 Tells you how to find your constituency and how to vote, etc

The Electoral Commission How do I find out who is standing for election and get information on candidates? Gives links to local Electoral Registration Offices and lists of candidates in each constituency 


Conservatives | Labour | Liberal Democrats | Green Party | UKIPScottish National Party | Plaid Cymru | DUP | Sinn Féin

Conservative and Unionist Party

Forward together - The Conservarive and Unionist Party manifesto

Competative and affordable energy costs - Independent review to be commissioned into the cost of energy to ensure UK energy costs are as low as possible, while ensuring a reliable supply and  meeting the 2050 carbon reduction objective.  Aim to have the lowest energy costs in Europe; Energy Infrastructure to be upgraded; Industrial energy efficiency scheme to be established (p22) 

A diverse energy mix -  No more onshore wind, but offshore wind to be supported (pp22 - 23)

Natural gas from shale - Planning laws will be changed.  A new Shale Environmental Regulator (to take over the relevant functions from HSE, EA and BEIS will be set up (p23)

Investing in transport - Continuing with High Speed 2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and the expansion of Heathrow
Airport.  Will invest in electric vehicle technology and low-emission buses; and will create extra capacity on railways (pp23-24)

Protecting the global environment - will continue to take a lead in global action against climate change. (p40)

Fair energy markets - Smart meters to be offered to every household; introduce safeguard tariff cap; improve energy efficiency of existing homes (p60)

Will means-test Winter Fuel Payments, focusing assistance on the least well-off pensioners, who are most at risk of fuel poverty. (p66)

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Manifesto General Election 2017 (where it differs from the above)

Social security devolution allows us to make different choices in Scotland and so we will protect universal Winter Fuel Payments for all older people and they will not be subject to means-testing." 


Labour

CREATING AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL - Labour manifesto - published 16 May 2017

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY -

Introduce an immediate emergency price cap to ensure that the average dual-fuel household energy bill remains below £1,000 per year


Take energy back into public ownership
  • alter the National and Regional Network Operator license conditions.
  • Support the creation of publicly owned, locally accountable energy companies and co-operatives 
  • Legislate to permit publicly owned local companies to purchase the regional grid infrastructure, and to ensure that national and regional grid infrastructure is brought into public ownership over time
Insulate four million homes
Offer home-owners interest- free loans to improve their property; re-establish the Landlord Energy Saving Allowance to encourage the uptake of efficiency measures.

Fracking to be banned

North sea offshore oil and gas industry to be protected

Committed to renewable energy projects, including tidal lagoons

Nuclear will continue to be part of the UK energy supply -  further nuclear projects to be supported.

Climate Change Act and the Paris Agreement targets to be met.

The low-carbon economy to be supported to secure crucial shares of global export markets.

Maintain access to the tariff free internal Europe energy market as part of Brexit negotiations

Retain access to Euratom, to allow continued trade of fissile material, with access and collaboration over research vital

SOCIAL SECURITY
  • The Winter Fuel Allowance and free bus passes will  guaranteed as universal benefits.
  • Immediate review of the mineworkers’ pension scheme and British Coal superannuation scheme surplus

LEADING RICHER LIVES
TRANSPORT
  • Deliver rail electrification and expansion across the whole country, including in Wales and the South West.
  • Support the creation of clean modes of transport through investment in low emission vehicles.
  • Retrofit thousands of diesel buses

ENVIRONMENT
  • Introduce a new Clean Air Act



Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat Manifesto - published 17 May 2017
Families and Communities

Investing in the transport we need
  • Pursue the electrification of the rail network, improve stations, reopen smaller stations, restore twin-track lines to major routes and proceed with HS2, HS3, and Crossrail 2, including development of a high-speed network stretching to Scotland
  • Shift more freight from road to rail
  • Encourage the swift take-up of electric and driverless vehicles.
  • Remain opposed to any expansion of Heathrow, Stansted or Gatwick and any new airport in the Thames Estuary and will focus instead on improving existing regional airports such as Birmingham and Manchester.

Environment

Clean air and green transport.

will pass a Green Transport Act, introduce an Air Quality Plan to reduce air pollution and protect UK citizens and support the manufacture of low-emission and electric vehicles, generating jobs and exports. The plan to include:

  • A diesel scrappage scheme, and a ban on the sale of diesel cars and small vans in the UK by 2025.
  • Extending Ultra-Low Emission Zones to ten more towns and cities.
  • All private hire vehicles and diesel buses licensed to operate in urban areas to run on ultra-low emission or zero emission fuels within five years.
  • Reform vehicle taxation to encourage sales of electric and low-emission vehicles and develop electric vehicle infrastructure including universal charging points.

Low carbon energy and green jobs
  • Pass a Zero Carbon Britain Act
  • Ensure the UK meets its own climate commitments re the Paris agreement
  • 60%electricity from renewables by 2030, supporting solar PV and onshore wind
  • Support cutting-edge technologies including storage, smart grid technology, hydrogen technologies, off-shore wind, and tidal power
  • Support carbon capture and storage~
  • Oppose fracking
  • Accept new nucelar power stations - but no public subsidy for new build
  • Maintain membership of Euratom

Greener homes, lower energy bills
  • Improve home insulation
  • Expand community energy schemes
  • 30% of household energy to be supplied by competitors of the 'Big 6' by 2022



Plaid Cymru - the Party of Wales - Plaid Cymru Action Plan published May 2017

Defending Wales: Putting energy into our environment (Action Plan pp. 41 - 43)

Fossil fuels, housing and insulation, wildlife, greenhouse gases, farming.


Green Party https://www.greenparty.org.uk/  The Green Guarantee Green Party Manifesto issued 22 May 2017

  • Replace fracking, coal power stations, subsidies to fossil fuels and nuclear with the clean green efficient renewable energy of the future, and investing in community owned energy.
  • Introduce a one-off fine on car manufacturers who cheated the emissions testing regime and create a new Clean Air Act, expanding and funding a mandatory clean air zone network.
  • Invest in regional rail links and electrification of existing rail lines, especially in the South West and North of England, rather than wasting money on HS2 and the national major roads programme. 
  • Cancel all airport expansion and end subsidies on airline fuel.

Scottish National Party  https://www.snp.org/


UKIP  http://www.ukip.org/  UKIP Manifesto

Transport:
 - Will support transition to zero emission vehicles;
- Not penalise drivers for having bought diesel cars (p51);

Environment:
- Review all EU environmental legislation (p53).

Future Energy Security:
- will repeal the 2008 Climate Change Act
- support a diverse energy market based on coal, nuclear, shale gas, conventional gas, oil, solar and hydro, as well as other renewables when they can be delivered at competitive prices
- withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, to enhance our industrial competitiveness. (p56)remove VAT from domestic fuel;
- scrap ‘green’ levies to reduce household bills by an average of £170;
- review the ownership and profits of British utilities and the impact on consumers of steadily rising prices. (p56)


Northern Ireland

Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) http://www.mydup.com/


Sinn Féin http://www.sinnfein.ie/

Ensure EU energy and Infrastructure programmes look at the needs of the island of Ireland as a whole.


SDLP http://www.sdlp.ie

Ulster Unionist Party https://www.uup.org/

Energy Insight details


Subjects: Energy policy

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