Chris Skidmore MP, the government’s net zero tsar, has published a 340-page net zero review that provides comprehensive proof that the Tories are playing dangerous politics with our climate and future. He has put forward 130 recommendations, from doubling down on renewable energy, extending the boiler upgrade scheme, and making sure climate policies are consistent, ambitious, and implemented fully. He says that the UK is already falling behind on some targets and needs a new approach – another day, another Tory MP calling out the total failure of this government to act with the urgency that the climate crisis demands.

Just before Christmas, the Government approved plans to open a new coalmine in Cumbria – strangely this wasn’t mentioned in the Net Zero report. The plans have now been approved, despite intense public backlash, warning that such a coalmine would almost certainly break the UK’s climate pledges and insistence from the steel industry that any steel produced from the coalmine would have limited potential due to its high sulphur levels. European steel makers are already moving towards green production and UK steel makers are following suit. This decision is bad politics, will not result in long-term green jobs and worse still, the steel industry doesn’t even want it! It’s clear that this Tory Government doesn’t want to listen to experts, or even its own MPs who have warned this coalmine will put further pressure on the local environment.

I understand that everyone is worried about energy costs, and they are right to be concerned. What’s more, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has underlined our pressing need to secure our energy security. To truly deliver energy security and lower bills, I believe we need to have a green energy sprint. We need to end the Government’s effective moratorium on onshore wind – which since 2015 has effectively lost us clean power capacity equal to all our Russian gas imports over that time – and instead double our capacity by 2030. We should also double offshore wind capacity by 2035, triple solar power by 2030 and embrace tidal power.

It is unbelievable that during this energy crisis, Tory MPs are still fighting over onshore wind energy and opening new coalmines. The Tories’ ban on wind energy shows just how destructive they are – at a time when we should be investing in a large and diverse energy portfolio, they are banning solar farms from most of England’s farmland. In the meantime, our reliance on gas and oil is increasing and so are our energy bills.

During the Labour Party Conference, Keir Starmer announced our plan for Great British Energy, a new national champion in clean power generation. A Labour Government will establish a British-owned company that will generate clean power, cut bills and provide true energy security for the UK. We would also invest £28 billion a year in climate measures – we would start a huge programme, involving local authorities, to properly insulate millions of Britain’s cold and draughty homes to reduce emissions, create green jobs and drive down soaring heating bills. The fact is – the Tories have run out of ideas and need to move aside.