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Labour’s great green energy plan could be a legacy as vital as the NHS | Polly Toynbee
NEWS
4/21/2026

Labour’s great green energy plan could be a legacy as vital as the NHS | Polly Toynbee

Ed Miliband has a rare chance to do for the climate what Nye Bevan did for health: create something future generations will be proud ofIt looks unlikely that Labour will emerge as the largest party at the next general election (though it’s by no means impossible). If just one term is Labour’s destiny, what legacy will it leave behind? There is already in the making one great success that can’t be reversed, the transition to homegrown clean energy. This is a true “taking back control” escape from the clutches of febrile oil and gas markets. Indeed it might become such a political success that it could rescue Labour’s electoral fortunes.Historically it may come to be recognised as equivalent to the 1948 creation of the NHS, with Ed Miliband the Nye Bevan of our day. He has fought his cause in much the same ruthless way Bevan did. He faces the same ferocious (and politically deranged) opposition from the right, who will have to eat their hats over rejecting renewables. Just as the NHS is a prime reason for pride in Britain, we can expect the same national pride in homegrown energy independence, freeing us from rollercoaster markets and mercurial foreign oil and gas dictators: Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump or ayatollahs.Guardian Newsroom: Can Labour come back from the brink?On Thursday 30 April, join Gaby Hinsliff, Zoe Williams, Polly Toynbee and Rafael Behr as they discuss how much of a threat Labour faces from the Green party and Reform UK – and whether Keir Starmer can survive as leader. Book tickets here or at guardian.livePolly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

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Guardian Business
UK to raise windfall tax on electricity generators to 55% unless they sign fixed-price contracts
Developing
Politics·4/21/2026AI summary

UK to raise windfall tax on electricity generators to 55% unless they sign fixed-price contracts

The UK Treasury will increase the windfall tax on electricity generators from 45% to 55% unless they sign long-term fixed-price contracts, in a bid to protect bill payers from gas price shocks. Owners of legacy renewable energy projects face the higher tax rate until they sign contracts for difference. The measures aim to delink electricity prices from gas prices as UK household bills are expected to rise from July due to the Middle East conflict pushing up global energy costs.

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Guardian Business
UK government to move older wind and solar farms to fixed-price contracts in radical market intervention
Developing
Politics·4/20/2026AI summary

UK government to move older wind and solar farms to fixed-price contracts in radical market intervention

The UK government has confirmed plans to move older wind and solar farms, comprising nearly a third of Great Britain's power market, on to fixed-price contracts to protect households and businesses from gas market volatility. The voluntary shift represents the government's most radical attempt to weaken the impact of soaring wholesale gas prices on electricity costs. Under the plans, legacy generators will be offered contracts similar to those used by low-carbon projects since 2017, or face higher windfall taxes. Analysts estimate the change could save between £4bn and £10bn annually if market prices remain high.

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Guardian UK