Unions warn Labour must convince Brits of green jobs boost to counter Reform

Labour must show how shifting to green energy will boost jobs to face down the threat from Reform, two major unions have warned.

Polling conducted by YouGov for Prospect and GMB reveals just a fifth (20%) of Brits believe the energy transition will have a positive impact on jobs locally. Under a third (31%) think the energy transition will have a positive impact on jobs anywhere in the UK.

GMB General Secretary Gary Smith warned Brits need to see the benefits of transition to clean energy to counter climate sceptics on the right as Nigel Farage wages war on Net Zero.

It comes after Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice vowed to scrap contracts with energy firms and reverse the expansion of renewable energy. Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Reform’s Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, has said she doesn't think climate change exists.

READ MORE: True cost of Nigel Farage's 'war on clean energy' exposed by Labour

Labour recently warned that 950,000 jobs in clean energy could be threatened by Reform. According to Confederation of British Industry data, the net zero economy supports 951,000 full-time jobs, in areas like offshore wind, electric vehicles, heat pumps and hydrogen.

This includes 100,700 in Scotland, 70,500 in Yorkshire and the Humber and 96,800 in the North West.

Mr Smith told the Mirror: “At the moment, the transition feels like something being done to workers – that can’t continue. People need to see real jobs created where they live, and their local economy boosted, or we’re going to see more and more tempted by the siren calls of those who deny the reality of climate change.”

The survey of more than 2,000 adults shows more than half (55%) agree a transition focused on jobs and the economy should be prioritised over one focused on speed. Only 17% prefer a focus on speed.

Prospect and GMB – who between them represent tens of thousands of energy workers - have launched a campaign group, Climate Jobs UK, which aims to put energy workers and jobs at the centre of the UK’s debate on decarbonisation. Around 5.5million people - 8% of the population - either work in the energy sector or know someone who does.

Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy said: “We are going to need tens of thousands of workers to deliver this huge shift in the way we produce and use energy. Building on the clean energy industrial strategy, the opportunity is to deliver good, clean energy jobs for the people and places that most need them

“But this research shows that people aren’t yet seeing those jobs materialise, and if this continues then it will undermine support for the transition and drive people towards parties who oppose it and would put the future of the industry at risk.

“The government have raised the ambition on energy policy, which is welcome, now they need to be bigger and bolder when it comes to energy jobs and put energy workers at the heart of this agenda.”

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “The clean energy transition is the economic opportunity of the 21st century, creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs across the UK in growing industries from carbon capture to offshore wind.

“We will publish a Clean Energy Workforce Strategy, setting out how government, industry and trade unions will come together to address skills and workforce challenges, to deliver the clean energy superpower mission and provide good, skilled jobs for current and future generations.”

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