Bowie warns Labour's net-zero push will spike UK energy costs

In an interview, Andrew Bowie, the Conservative shadow energy and net-zero secretary, warned that Labour’s manifesto pledge to stop issuing licences for new offshore oil and gas fields will drive up energy bills for consumers. Citing Institute for Fiscal Studies data that UK electricity prices are among the world’s highest, he argued the country will rely on gas for at least 50 years and should exploit remaining North Sea resources.

Bowie called for a pragmatic mix of nuclear, gas and a rollback of carbon taxes, labeling one outlet Labour approach as “mad”. He also attacked Energy Secretary Miata Fahnbulleh’s climate zeal, likening her to former Labour leader Ed Miliband, and expressed concern that a possible Brexit re-run could fuel another Scottish independence vote. The MP linked energy policy to broader worries about national security and economic competitiveness under a Labour government.