Starmer to unveil 'doorstep offer' to Scottish voters

One of the key promises will be the creation of Great British Energy, a "publicly owned clean power company."

The party plans to fund the company through a windfall tax on oil and gas firms, and has promised an initial £8.3 billion capitalisation over a parliament.

They say it “will invest and support the roll-out of new energy technologies, partner with communities and local authorities to scale up locally-owned energy projects, and help deliver the grid reforms needed to reach our clean power goals.”

There is some scepticism from the industry in the North East, who warn that windfall tax and the party’s pledge to stop new oil and gas licences will drive away the companies and workers needed for the transition.

A recent survey of firms by Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce reveals that just 5% believe Labour has the best policies to deliver the energy transition.

They warned that with confidence plummeting the next government would have 100 days to save 100,000 jobs and £30 billion worth of investment.

Speaking ahead of the event in Inverclyde, Sir Keir said: ”Family financial security depends on energy security.

“The pain and misery of the cost-of-living crisis was directly caused by the Tories’ failure to make Britain resilient, leaving us at the mercy of fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators like Putin.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. Our clean power mission with Great British Energy will take back control of our destiny and invest in cheap, clean homegrown energy that we control.

“We will turn the page on the cost-of-living crisis. The choice at this election is clear: higher bills and energy insecurity with the Conservatives, or lower bills and energy security with Labour.”

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While the party has said GB Energy's HQ will be based in Scotland, they have not yet said where. 

They are coming under increasing pressure to commit to Aberdeen. 

New polling shows a third of Scots believe the North East is the right location for the new body.

With Labour not expecting to win in Aberdeen and the North East at this election there is some speculation that the party is keeping any announcement quiet until some point closer to the Holyrood vote where they could have a chance of making some gains.

The poll, carried out by Survation for True North, found 33% of voters thought Aberdeen was best placed to for the headquarters, while 21% backed Glasgow. Another 19% said Edinburgh while just 7% thought Dundee.

Fergus Mutch from the firm said Aberdeen had been “a major global energy hub for half a century.“ “Quite clearly there is no better location for GB Energy than Aberdeen, and people right across Scotland understand why that is the case.”

The SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn hit out at Labour, saying the party “would take Scotland's energy wealth and spend it on nuclear projects in England.”

“In contrast, the SNP wants every penny to be spent in Scotland - reducing household bills, creating Scottish jobs, and securing our green energy future.

"It's no wonder the Labour Party has given up campaigning in the North East and huge swathes of Scotland - because Starmer knows how deeply unpopular his damaging policies are.

"In contrast, the SNP will always stand up for Scotland. On 4th July, vote SNP to protect Scotland's energy and put Scotland's interests first."

Claire Coutinho, the Tory Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary, said Great British Energy would cost taxpayers.

“By sticking to the Conservatives’ clear plan, energy bills are at the lowest point since 2022, but we must go further.

“That’s why we are taking bold action to guarantee the future of the energy price cap, as we back new nuclear power and offshore wind, keeping bills low and ensuring families are not lumbered with the cost of reaching net zero,” she said.

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The other pledges to be unveiled by Sir Keir include economic stability, an extra £134bn for the NHS in Scotland through Barnett consequentials, the party’s New Deal for Working People, and policies to “create jobs and opportunities for young people.”

The campaign stop by the senior figures comes as the row over Diane Abbot and the party’s candidate selection rumbles on.

The veteran left-winger claims she has also been barred from standing despite having the Labour whip restored following her suspension last year after she said Irish, Jewish and Traveller people were not subjected to racism in the same way as black people.

That has been disputed by Sir Keir.

On Wednesday evening, another left-wing candidate - Faiza Shaheen - was banned from standing for Labour after complaints she "liked" social media posts that the party claimed allegedly downplayed antisemitism.

Ms Abbott, who has vowed to run in the poll on July 4 by “any means possible”, described the exclusions as “appalling” and accused the leadership of conducting a “cull” of the left.

Sir Keir denied that a purge was taking place.

Meanwhile, Anas Sarwar has defended a Labour candidate who once suggested smuggler gangs could be “shipped to Scotland.”

He said Josh Simons - who was chosen as the Labour candidate for Makerfield in north-west England on Wednesday - had shown contrition for his “stupid joke”.