Support our Nation today - please donate here
News

Voters will have to accept pylons or higher taxes, says Starmer

29 Sep 2024 2 minute read
Photo Gareth Fuller/PA Wire

Voters will have to accept new pylons if they want lower energy bills as burying cables underground is too expensive, the Prime Minister has said.

Sir Keir Starmer drew criticism last week after saying pylons were a necessary “trade-off” for clean energy during his speech to the Labour Party conference, with campaigners against new pylons in East Anglia saying he had thrown the region “under a bus”.

But the Prime Minister insisted this was not the case, saying the country had “shied away from these trade-offs for too long”.

He told reporters: “If you want lower energy bills, we’re going to have to have pylons above the ground.

“Yes, there is the option to put them below the ground – it costs much more money, and if there’s one consistent theme into and out of the last election, it’s that most people feel they’re already paying too much tax, and I don’t think many would put their hand up to pay more tax in relation to that.”

Opposition

Plans to build new pylons between Norwich and Tilbury, in Essex, have attracted local opposition, with new Suffolk MP and Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay saying there was “huge local concern about the impact on agricultural land, on traffic, on local communities, on the landscape”.

The pylons would carry electricity from wind farms off the coast of East Anglia, in line with the new Government’s commitment to decarbonise the electricity grid by 2030.

National Grid has previously said it has considered alternatives and delaying the project would mean delaying access to cleaner energy in the region.

The Prime Minister said the Government would consult with people on projects, but added: “I do want to be clear: these are serious trade-offs that we’re going to have to make and we’re going to have to take those decisions.”


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
17 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
PeterC
PeterC
12 days ago

As usual Starmer has little idea of what he is talking about. There is at least one UK based company that installs underground cables by cutting a very narrow trench laying the cable and backfilling in one operation with very little disruption and at a cost comparable to overhead cables.

A.Redman
A.Redman
12 days ago
Reply to  PeterC

Also these pylons are manufactured abroad and require maintenance and are not recyclable.How is it that they won be positioned near The National Botanic Gardens ,( upsetting the views)? There is far more to this than the public are being told,once again.!!!!

hdavies15
hdavies15
12 days ago
Reply to  PeterC

Starmer displays yet again how little real intelligence he possesses, mainly due to have operated in a confined bubble for too long and only listening to stuff that fits with his narrow view. Labour Party lumbered with a “successful” leader who’s about as useful as a wet paper bag. Now we are lumbered with him too along with his dopey sidekick Millipede the trainee sandwich muncher.

Adrian
Adrian
12 days ago

You voted for this – are you enjoying the sunlit uplands?

Richard Davies
Richard Davies
12 days ago

I would happily pay a bit more in tax to make sure the cables were put underground.

I would be even happier to pay much more in tax to fund winter fuel allowance for OAPs, a fully funded NHS, and to have rail, mail, water and energy all re-nationalised!

hdavies15
hdavies15
12 days ago
Reply to  Richard Davies

If you are one of those super wealthy types that Keir and Co are protecting I’d happily collect the tax off you to pay for those things. However it is quite evident that the elites will remain protected and us serfs will pay up.

Richard Davies
Richard Davies
10 days ago
Reply to  hdavies15

I’m not one of those super wealthy types, far from it. I am actually one of the serfs.

John Ellis
John Ellis
12 days ago

The photograph illustrating this news item certainly looks ominous and even somewhat intimidating, but despite that I do wonder if the reality in most places would turn out to look as formidable as this accompanying photograph suggests. I say that because I was born and brought up in south Manchester within barely more than a mile of the points where suburbia ended and open rural countryside still persisted. The whole area had lines of electricity pylons stalking the countryside, and in all honesty I never saw them as any sort of abominable blight: I just accepted them as a feature… Read more »

Jeff
Jeff
12 days ago

“We want cheap green leccy!!!!”

“Wotchamean, it doesn’t appear by magic?”

Why vote
Why vote
12 days ago

Has starmer actually read the costings comparisons between pythons and trenches or has some lobbyists told him its expensive?

hdavies15
hdavies15
12 days ago
Reply to  Why vote

If involves pythons I’ll buy one and shove it down his trousers.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
12 days ago
Reply to  hdavies15

Quickest way to empty a trench, throw a handful of pythons into it…

Now if you crossed a Mole with an Elephant…

Speaking of Moles Ms Patel needs her collar felt…

Last edited 12 days ago by Mab Meirion
Jeff
Jeff
12 days ago
Reply to  Why vote

Reports are in the Parliament domain. Quick précis, they say it is far more expensive per km than overhead. They cite evidence.

Dr Jonathan F Dean
Dr Jonathan F Dean
11 days ago

Er, does Sir K know that electricity infrastructure is not paid for through taxation?

Ioan ap Trefor
Ioan ap Trefor
11 days ago

The real fight should be :-
“No unreliable erratic ineffective Wind Turbines = No Pylons and No Cables”

Dr Jonathan F Dean
Dr Jonathan F Dean
11 days ago
Reply to  Ioan ap Trefor

Except that isn’t true, we need lots more electricity no matter how it’s made

Charles Coombes
Charles Coombes
11 days ago

Power lines underground are more secure when war breaks out so cheaper in the long run!

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.