Labour has pledged to ban fracking for good and will not issue new oil and gas licences.

The party’s manifesto, published on 13 June 2024, said:

“We will not issue new licences to explore new fields because they will not take a penny off bills, cannot make us energy secure, and will only accelerate the worsening climate crisis. In addition, we will not grant new coal licences and will ban fracking for good.”

But Labour said it would not revoke existing licences and would “partner with business and workers to manage our existing fields for the entirely of their lifespan”.

The manifesto’s chapter on energy also promised changes to the windfall tax (energy profits levy):

• Increase the rate of the levy by three percentage points (the current rate is 35%)
• Close investment allowance loophole for oil and gas companies, which reduces tax payments
• Extend the sunset clause for expiry of the tax from March 2028 until the end of the next parliament

As expected, Labour committed to create Great British Energy, a new publicly-owned company. This would, the party said, install thousands of clean power projects by partnering with energy companies, local authorities and co-operatives.

But the party said it would “maintain a strategic reserve of gas power stations to guarantee security of supply”.

It confirmed its pledge to decarbonise electricity by 2030. It said it would work with the private sector to double onshore wind, triple solar power and quadruple offshore wind by 2030.

The phase-out date for petrol or diesel new cars would return to 2030, Labour said, following the present government’s postponement to 2035.  

A national wealth fund would invest in hydrogen and industrial clusters and in improving energy efficiency in British homes.

Friends of the Earth said “firm plans” were needed from Labour on how long-term challenges would be confronted. It said the manifesto of “skates over so much of what’s needed to tackle the climate and nature emergencies”.

Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru said in its manifesto it would “maintain the ban on fracking” and it opposed new oil and gas licences.

It also opposed new open cast coal mines, development of new sites for nuclear power stations and proposals for gas-fired peaking power stations in Wales.

The manifesto, published on 13 June, said open cast mine sites should be “fully restored for the benefit of local communities, and should never be used a guise for private companies to undertake further coal extraction”.

It called for:

• Social tariff for energy
• Devolved responsibility for regulation from Ofgem
• Welsh energy systems operator
• Extended role for Ynni Cymru, the Welsh national energy company
• Changes to the structure of the National Grid to allow communities to benefit from local energy projects

The party also said energy companies should face an increased windfall tax, with closed investment loopholes.

DrillOrDrop’s review of the Conservative, Lib Dem, Green and Reform UK manifestos

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