Sir Keir Starmer

Sources ‘quietly confident’ state-owned energy company is heading to Aberdeen

THERE remains a “quiet confidence” that Labour’s state-owned energy company, Great British Energy, will be based in Aberdeen. Iain Anderson ...

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THERE remains a “quiet confidence” that Labour’s state-owned energy company, Great British Energy, will be based in Aberdeen.

Iain Anderson – who recently completed a business review on behalf of Labour and Shadow Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds – said the city “should stand head and shoulders above most other places that it could be located in.”

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Energy is set to be a key battleground in this year’s General Election, though Sir Keir Starmer may wait until after Brits hit the polls to announce the location of GB Energy.

Speaking to the Press & Journal, Mr Anderson added: “It’s got the skills base. It’s got academia in spades that understands the energy transition.

“And it’s got a lot of the major investors in the area.”

Fergus Mutch, Policy Advisor at Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said it would be “ridiculous” if GB Energy wasn’t based in Aberdeen.

He continued: “If Labour is looking to take a stake in our net zero future, then it’s a no-brainer – there’s only one place for it.

“Labour has work to do in terms of energy policy. A few more visits by their top team between now and the election would be no bad idea.”

Speaking to the ChamberTalk podcast in Holyrood, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar suggested the Granite City may be a frontrunner to host the company.

“There’s lots of people making lots of pitches…but Aberdeen is making a very strong case for it,” he said.

“GB Energy will be headquartered in Scotland, it will be a publicly-owned energy generation company, we recognise the skills across the country and lots of very strong and good cases have been made.

“I can understand why people are suggesting Aberdeen, but the commitment for it is for it to be in Scotland.”

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