The West of England will play a 鈥渉uge role鈥 in the government's ambitious clean energy plans, according to a Labour MP. Sarah Jones, minister of state for industry, made the comments at a conference in Exeter showcasing the economic importance of the region.
She highlighted Somerset鈥檚 planned electric battery gigafactory and Cornwall鈥檚 鈥渕ining renaissance鈥 as she outlined Labour's economic agenda.
Sir Keir Starmer鈥檚 administration has pledged to double onshore wind, triple solar power, and quadruple offshore wind by 2030. It has also committed to investing in carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and marine energy.
鈥淭he South West is a vital economic engine for the 海角视频,鈥 said Ms Jones. 鈥淭his Government鈥檚 mission is economic growth, and that means removing barriers to the innovation, skills and potential that I saw in abundance in the South West.鈥
The 鈥楧elivering for the 海角视频鈥 conference was organised by the Great South West - the pan-regional partnership representing Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Dorset and Somerset - and attracted hundreds of business leaders, industry experts and MPs.
Steve Race, Labour MP for Exeter and chair of the Great South West All-Party Parliamentary Group, took part in a panel discussion on how the region can raise its profile in Westminster.
He said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 my job to help us all to make the case for our region. To do that, we need to speak with one voice, to showcase our strengths, and to fight for attention and investment.鈥
鈥淥ur four counties are leaders in the sectors that are critical to the future success of the whole country - from farming and agri-business, to cutting edge science and innovation, to defence, and the second largest concentration of industrial manufacturing in the country, we have a central role to play."
The Great South West Partnership also launched its new Independent Economic Review - a blueprint for driving investment and growth across the region. The review, which will be published to the public in October, explores how the Great South West is vital to helping make Britain a clean energy superpower.
Karl Tucker, chair of the Great South West Partnership, added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 clear that now is the time for the new Government to seize the opportunities for the South West to help to secure national economic growth and security.鈥
