Representatives of the UK’s five main political parties have clashed over energy policy during today’s Daily Politics debate on climate change and the environment.
Hosted by the BBC’s Andrew Neil and Roger Harrabin, topics relating to climate change, the UK’s energy mix, renewable subsidies and energy security were debated by the Conservative’s Matthew Hancock, Labour’s Caroline Flint, the Lib Dem’s Ed Davey, the Greens’ Andrew Cooper and UKIP’s Roger Helmer.
Renewable technologies were debated, however solar was overlooked in favour of onshore wind with it proving to be of particular contention across the main parties. While Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens have expressed a support for onshore wind the Conservatives wish to remove its subsidy and UKIP wishes to remove all renewable subsidies altogether.
Hancock championed solar as the cheapest source of renewable energy given the results of the first Contracts for Difference auction round but failed to mention the fact that the two projects with a strike price of £50/MWh are now not going ahead, a fact Harrabin was quick to remind him of.
Energy policy was also a focal part of the debate and Helmer sought early on to claim that the UK’s current policy was a “disaster”, claiming renewables to be uncompetitive in comparison to coal, gas and nuclear.
The four other candidates all questioned Helmer’s stance, but clashed over how to meet decarbonisation targets expressed in other manifestos.
Hancock claimed that Labour’s aim to decarbonise the UK’s energy sector by 2030 would raise the average energy bill costs but £96, a claim which Flint countered by questioning how much failing to decarbonise would cost the country in the long run, stating it would “cost more not to remove carbon” from the UK’s energy supply.
The coalition government’s success in meeting renewable energy targets was heavily criticised and Davey acknowledged that the UK was behind in its efforts for 15% renewable energy – including both heat and transport – with adoption currently standing at around 5%.
Helmer used his closing statement to attack renewable subsidies and said the UK should only entertain “proven, low cost energy technologies”, while Cooper said the coalition government’s record on renewable energy was “feeble”.
The full debate can be viewed on the BBC's iPlayer here.