Even business leaders group the Confederation of British Industry has attacked the Brown government its drag on emissions reduce.
The result: Britain remains addicted to fossil fuels, with consequences including costs and poverty, air pollution and global heating.
This is unforgivable. From around 1985, and certainly since 1992, there has been widespread knowledge of climate change, and even the potential for runaway warming caused by feedbacks. We knew then what terrible things could happen in the future if the government did not take radical action.
While the Blair-Brown government did impose a windfall profits tax on oil and gas in the North Sea, at the same time they increased the amount companies can claim in tax deductions for development capital expenditures from a quarter to 100 They eliminated royalties on North Sea oil to encourage drilling in otherwise unprofitable areas.
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They provide huge subsidies to the oil and gas industry – more than other European countries–as well as coal companies too.
On climate change, the conversation is about working with the oil industry, but the government is free to do whatever it wants. A notable example is carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Brown and his Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband accepted the idea CCS is feasible, although it is more expensive and more polluting than renewable energy. 2006 Brown Commitment The government will help its oil industry partners establish CCS projects along the North Sea coast. These will “reduce emissions from gas and coal power stations by up to 90%”. It never happened.
On home insulation, the Brown administration is considering a windfall tax on oil and gas companies to fund home insulation. The idea is supported by two-thirds of the population, however, After meeting with energy company executivesBrown ruled it out.
Labour’s support for oil and gas is reflected not only in production but also in consumption. Overseeing soaring public transport costs (see chart), they ensured an increasing reliance on private cars.
In air travel, we see a similar story.From 1997 to 2006, the number of passengers increased by an average of more than 5% Per year. Again, this is driven by politics.
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Such is the collusion between the Blair-Brown government and the aviation industry, and in 2009, after the government approved the expansion of Heathrow, MPs asked the House of Commons for a “revolving door” between the government and Heathrow operator BAA. investigation. “The number of people in the government is large”, noting a congressman“Related to BAA”.
The revolving doors leading to the Aviation Hall extend beyond the BAA and Heathrow. Kerry McCarthy himself was a director of Luton Airport before joining the Brown government.
But the most famous — and actually notorious — revolving door is the oil industry.Although Tory Oil relation Even stronger, Labour under Blair was a loyal accomplice.
Blair, a personal confidant of BP director John Brown, honoured him with former BP chairman David Simon.so many BP executives Drafted to government committee During his tenure, competitors called the company Blair Petroleum.
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in part for Serving BP and Shell Blair and Brown send British troops to invade Iraq, Blair personally cash The invasion was carried out through payments from a company that received oil concessions from Iraqi Kurdistan.
In Brown’s case, he used sermons to distract his bloodstained hands — including on the war in Ukraine.Given that the Russian invasion was comparable to the British invasion of Iraq in every respect, including The role of fossil fuels Among its motivations, Brown is now calling for Vladimir Putin to be brought to an international court, the very definition of neurotic projection.
Back to the question we started with: Is Labour under Starmer trying to break with the past? Rather, the project is to reiterate it.
Starmer says Labour should very proud Blair on government records.His own leadership campaign consisted of auto industry Chief. He champions CCS, a technology that serves no apparent purpose other than to fund oil companies and delay the transition from fossil fuels.
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He abandoned Corbynite’s commitment to the Green New Deal and the Corbyn era and TUC support There are plans to nationalize parts of the energy industry.he calls severe action against climate activists just stop the oil campaign group. It’s all music to the oil and gas giant.
Stammer sees his plan for a windfall profits tax on North Sea industry as ”Radical, Bold and Ambitious. It’s not that kind of thing. His playbook is that of Blair and Brown: an occasional windfall tax, but rule out any nationalisation.
Margaret Thatcher also imposed a windfall profits tax on North Sea oil. For her, and for Blair and Brown, they represent a wrinkle in an overall neoliberal and extremely hydrocarbon-friendly fiscal system.
This is the model that Starmer follows today. Sir Starmer won’t fight oil and gas giants: the war is being waged by others.
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Gareth Dyer Teaches political science at Brunel University, where many of his articles appear website. he tweeted @Gareth_Dale.
