Labour calls on Rishi Sunak to "come out of hiding" and support energy intensive industries
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Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has written this afternoon
to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak calling on him to support
energy-intensive industries as the crisis escalates. The Party has
slammed Sunak as “missing in action” after weeks of denials from
government about the energy and cost of living crisis, as well as
very public tensions between the Chancellor and the Business
Secretary over the weekend. With whole sectors in crisis and energy
intensive industries...Request free
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Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has written this afternoon to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak calling on him to support energy-intensive industries as the crisis escalates. The Party has slammed Sunak as “missing in action” after weeks of denials from government about the energy and cost of living crisis, as well as very public tensions between the Chancellor and the Business Secretary over the weekend. With whole sectors in crisis and energy intensive industries like steel, ceramics, glass, paper and chemicals calling on government to engage with them, Labour is ramping up its call on the Government to support the energy intensive industries. And the Party is also demanding a guarantee that no business in energy intensive sectors will be allowed to fail, solely because of the current temporary increase in energy prices. Reeves posed the following questions to the Chancellor in her letter:
Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, wrote: “Our brilliant British industries are a crucial cornerstone of our economy, and we should be supporting them to boost our recovery. “The Government should be protecting and supporting them through a crisis which has come about from their own lack of planning. “They have a duty to get an immediate grip on this situation, and businesses need reassurance that this is happening. “It’s crucial to also see the Government out reassuring the public that they won’t be hit with more rising costs as millions are left with less money in their pockets. Not doing so is looking increasingly out of touch.”
Ends Notes to editors
Whole sectors are in crisis. A temporary increase in energy prices must not mean great industries like steel, ceramics, glass, paper and chemicals disappear, just because they happen to be intensive users of energy.
Turning our backs on them would mean losing almost half a million jobs. It would mean ripping out the foundations underpinning the wider UK economy, holding back jobs and growth for years to come. It would be terrible value for money, as we would have to turn to expensive imports to meet our needs for the goods these sectors produce.
Further commentary from the Prime Minister’s spokesperson today suggests that you misled the public yesterday and are indeed working with BEIS. The public will rightly wonder what on earth is going on.
The Government has a duty to get an immediate grip on this situation, and businesses need reassurance that this is happening. To that end, I would be grateful for answers to the following questions as a matter of urgency:
Our brilliant British industries are a crucial cornerstone of our economy, and we should be supporting them to boost our recovery. Labour wants to buy, make and sell more in Britain to get our economy firing on all cylinders.
The Government should be protecting and supporting them through a crisis which has come about from their own lack of planning.
It’s crucial to also see the Government out reassuring the public that they won’t be hit with more rising costs as millions are left with less money in their pockets. Not doing so is looking increasingly out of touch.
Most importantly, I am seeking a guarantee from you that no business in energy intensive sectors will be allowed to fail, solely because of the current temporary increase in energy prices.
Yours sincerely,
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer |