Labour’s proposals for GB Energy remain unclear and will not tackle “unfairness” in the energy market, Scottish Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has said.
Ms Forbes made the comments as she visited Aikengall community wind farm in Scotland’s East Lothian on Tuesday.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party has pledged to create a publicly-owned energy company headquartered in Scotland, saying this would deliver 69,000 jobs and make Scotland a global leader in clean energy.
Speaking to journalists at the wind farm, Ms Forbes said GB Energy “seems to be all things to all men and women”.
She added: “We await the details. First it was going to be an energy company, now it’s an investment arm.
“The problem for developers and for government is actually having the clarity on what GB Energy will mean.
“In July this year households in Scotland will be paying £300 – even with the energy price cap – more than they were two years ago.
“We’re surrounded here by the supply and the production of clean, green energy.
“There’s an unfairness there and I don’t see any proposals around GB Energy actually tackling that unfairness.”
Ms Forbes was also asked about the proposed wind farm off the coast of East Lothian called Berwick Bank, which would have up to 307 turbines.
SSE has said it missed a deadline for a UK Government scheme to supply the National Grid due to Scottish ministers not granting approval for Berwick Bank.
The Deputy First Minister said some developers have had positive experiences of the Scottish planning process, adding: “Often the developer will be engaging with all three tiers of government.
“We need to make sure that all three are working together and able to respond to them quickly.”
Shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said: “Labour’s GB Energy will be a publicly owned energy company that will invest in renewable technology across the country and ensure that the public finally own a stake in the energy generated on their doorstep.
“Labour’s plans to base GB Energy in Scotland and deliver clean energy by 2030 will help attract billions of pounds of investment, create 69,000 green jobs, and cut bills for Scots – it is pathetic that the SNP can’t bring themselves to support these plans.
“After a series of dizzying U-turns on oil and gas licences and the windfall tax, the SNP doesn’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to energy.
“As millions of Scots struggle with extortionate energy bills, the SNP is more interested in protecting the profits of oil and gas giants than cutting the bills of struggling Scots – but Labour will deliver change.
“Every vote for Scottish Labour is a vote to lower bills, create jobs, deliver energy security and unlock Scotland’s potential as a clean energy superpower.”
