Keir Starmer pledges to cut bills by scrapping onshore wind farm ban

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Sir Keir Starmer will pledge to “cut bills, create jobs and provide energy security” by scrapping the ban on new onshore wind farms and removing planning barriers standing in the way of green initiatives. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer pictured during a visit to Whitelees windfarm, Eaglesham Speaking in Scotland with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, and shadow energy secretary Ed Miliband, the Labour leader will say: “We can cut bills, create jobs and provide energy security for Britain – that’s what a Labour government will deliver. He told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg show: “We want to use the strength of the UK treasury to legitimately deliver a green revolution in our country and our plans are rooted in four key principles, the first is more jobs not less jobs, second, lower bills not higher bills, third, greater energy security and less reliance on imports from despotic regimes like Russia, and fourth is climate leadership.” The Scottish Labour leader insisted there would be “no cliff edge” caused by the party’s policy to ban new oil and gas extraction licences in the North Sea, which the Conservatives have said will lead to job losses, because all existing ones will be “honoured”. This means urgently investing in a street-by-street insulation programme and cheap, homegrown renewables to cut emissions, boost the economy, create new jobs, increase energy security and help bring down our energy bills for good.” Meanwhile, the Conservatives claimed the plan would appease “eco-zealots” and sought to draw links between Labour and Just Stop Oil, with which it has shared a donor.