London24NEWS

Keir Starmer unveils emblem of publicly owned power firm that can decrease payments

Keir Starmer will accuse the Tories of fuelling the cost of living crisis by failing to draw up a proper energy plan.

The Labour leader will tell an audience in Scotland that government failings left the public at the mercy of dictators like Vladimir Putin. He will vow to “turn the page” on the crisis as he unveils the logo of Great British Energy, which he will set up if he becomes PM.

Mr Starmer says the publicly owned company will help drive down bills, warning of a £900 annual hike if the Tories stay in power. He will say: “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.”

Great British Energy, headquartered in Scotland, will be funded by making energy firms pay a windfall tax, Labour says. Mr Starmer will join Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to bulk out plans to invest in homegrown power.

The pair will launch the website and logo for the flagship policy. Labour says work will begin within months if it’s elected to run the country, warning that Tory failure to act mean prices are rising twice as fast as the European average.

Shadow Energy Security Secretary Ed Miliband said: “It’s time to move on from the Tories’ bone-headed opposition to clean energy, for which British families are paying the price.”