Press Story

Reacting to the announcements around net-zero during the King’s speech, Dr George Dibb, head of the Centre for Economic Justice, said:

“The best way to ensure energy security, attract business investment, and reduce reliance on importing fossil fuels is by investing in renewables, not through new oil and gas licenses.

“The lack of legislation to match the efforts of the EU and USA on green industrial strategy is a huge backwards step which undermines the international consensus on climate change and won’t attract investment in the industries of the future here in the UK.”

Reacting to the announcements on oil and gas, Josh Emden, senior research fellow at IPPR, said:

“By far the best way to improve energy security, cut bills and support workers is investing more time and money in renewables. Our research shows new oil and gas fields would only cut oil and gas imports by 4 per cent and 2 per cent respectively. The alternative of no new fields and faster renewable rollout would cut them by 12 per cent and 17 per cent.

“This is just further confirmation of what public polling is already showing: that the government is spending too much time distracted by the false promise of oil and gas and not enough time rolling out renewables more quickly that could actually make a difference to the cost of living.”

Reacting to the announcements around smoking, Chris Thomas, head of IPPR's Commission on Health and Prosperity, said:

“The government’s commitment to new smokefree legislation is a landmark policy, but one in search of a bigger vision.

“The UK has become the ‘sick man of Europe’ - with addiction, long NHS waiting lists, poor quality housing, obesity, and poor mental health all contributing to the ailing health of our nation. In turn, IPPR’s Commission on Health and Prosperity has shown that this avoidable illness is harming people’s wages, driving up economic inactivity and undermining broad based prosperity.

“Health should be a core mission for the UK, across government and all of society. We need this government to pull more of the many levers available to it to deliver a happier, more prosperous future.”

Reacting to the announcements around housing, Maya Singer Hobbs, senior research fellow, said:

“Leasehold is an archaic and unfair part of the UK housing system. Although the plan to ban leaseholds on new houses is welcome as a step in the right direction, the real issue is with what wasn’t announced. The announcement does not cover new flats, which make up 70 per cent of leaseholds in England.

“The promise to protect renters, but without abolishing Section 21 ’no fault’ evictions outright, rings hollow when people are at risk of eviction now.”