Ed Miliband says Labour will ‘win fight’ against UK net zero critics
Ed Miliband has said the government will “win this fight” against critics of Britain’s net zero plan, in part by creating more offshore wind jobs in the country’s former industrial heartlands.The energy secretary appeared to take aim at his political opponents in the Conservative and Reform UK parties as he launched a £1bn investment scheme to bolster job opportunities in the offshore wind supply chain.He told an energy industry conference on Tuesday that the investment would usher in a “green industrial revolution” for workers in manufacturing heartlands such as Teesside, Scotland, south Wales and East Anglia.Britain’s former industrial towns have shown growing support for the Reform party, which has promised to scrap Britain’s net zero agenda if it comes to power in the next election in 2029.The Conservative party’s leader, Kemi Badenoch, has also vowed to drop her party’s commitment to reaching net zero by 2050 after describing the legally binding climate target as “impossible”.
Miliband told journalists at Tuesday’s event: “We’re going to win this fight, and we’re going to win this fight partly because of all the jobs that these companies are creating with us.“The forces that want to take us backwards, the forces that oppose net zero, will have to reckon not just with the government.They will have to reckon with all these companies that are creating jobs.”The government’s £1bn investment in the supply chain companies that support the offshore wind industry includes £300m funding from Great British Energy and match funding of £300m from the offshore wind industry.This will come alongside a £400m investment from the crown estate.
The government expects the funding to support thousands of long-term additional jobs, including the electricians manufacturing the turbines and blades used by offshore windfarm developers to the engineers responsible for the construction and maintenance of windfarms,Sign up to Business TodayGet set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morningafter newsletter promotionA report by the industry trade group RenewableUK has found that 55,000 people now work in the UK wind industry, including 40,000 in offshore wind – an increase of almost a quarter in the last two years,The report found that between 74,000 and 95,000 people will be needed to meet the government’s plan to quadruple Britain’s offshore wind capacity by the end of the decade, which would take the total UK wind workforce to more than 112,000 by 2030,The highest numbers of new jobs are expected to be created in the east of England and in Yorkshire and the Humber, where there was growing support for the Reform party in the recent council elections,New offshore wind jobs are also expected in Scotland, which will hold its local elections in 2027.
State of Origin 2025 Game 2: Qld Maroons beat NSW Blues 26-24 – as it happened
All eyes now turn to Sydney and the Game 3 decider on Wednesday 9th of July. I will be back there to see who lifts the State of Origin shield. Until then, I’ll leave you with Jack Snape’s match report from tonight’s chaotic classic. Catch you soon.A quick look at social media and it appears NSW fans have some polite concerns with the refereeing of Ashley Klein
Queensland stay alive after holding off stirring NSW comeback in State of Origin classic
They had been all but written off, rudderless and adrift with a rattled coach at the helm, but a spirited Queensland kept the State of Origin shield alive after a wet, wild and often bizarre Game 2 victory over New South Wales in Perth.The memorable 26-24 triumph wasn’t certain until the final moments after a titanic Blues comeback – highlighted by a Brian To’o hat-trick – brought them back to within two points with eight minutes to go.Yet the Maroons’ heroic defence in the dying stages was capped off by new Maroons captain Cameron Munster and recalled backrower Kurt Capewell, having faced repeat sets, who forced an error from Blues prop Payne Haas with another gritty tackle.The Blues’ final set ended in an error from fullback Dylan Edwards, securing one of the great Origin victories and triggering a mix of relief and celebration for the weary Queenslanders.The Maroons had scored four tries to five for the Blues
Florida is now the Stanley Cup’s semi-permanent home. What does that mean for Canada?
“There are a lot of things I do not understand about this proposed expansion,” New York Times sports columnist George Vecsey wrote in December 1992, as the NHL wrapped up its annual Board of Governors meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. During that week’s meeting, the league received expansion proposals for two teams. One was for a team in Anaheim, California, backed by Disney. The other was for a team in Miami, Florida, put forward by waste management-and-VHS-video magnate, Wayne Huizenga. “What makes it think the Sun Belt is ready for all these hockey teams?” Vecsey wondered
The Spin | David ‘Syd’ Lawrence’s brave race against time to tell his remarkable story
David Lawrence loved to dance. As a teenager he would move to northern soul, hitching his way from Gloucester to Wigan Casino, a change of clothes in the bag, life beginning at midnight. Then came his time as a powerful fast bowler with Gloucestershire, where he was bestowed the nickname Syd, his reward an England debut against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in 1988.He took a five-wicket haul in August 1991 against West Indies at the Oval, the ground he had visited as a 12-year-old to see Michael Holding fly and where he recognised that this would be his calling, too. Less than six months later, playing his fifth Test, Lawrence thundered through the crease in Wellington and snapped a kneecap
Former NFL star Henry Ruggs apologizes to family of woman he killed in DUI crash
Former Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs, on special release on Monday night, spoke at a Hope for Prisoners event in Las Vegas and apologized to the family of a woman he killed in a car crash in 2021.Ruggs drove his sports car at speeds up to 156 mph in Las Vegas on 2 November 2021, slamming into a vehicle that killed driver Tina Tintor and her dog. Tintor was 23. Blood samples taken after the crash showed that Ruggs had a blood-alcohol level of 0.16% — twice the legal limit in Nevada
Emma Raducanu’s stalker blocked by Wimbledon after name found in ballot
Emma Raducanu’s stalker has been blocked from buying tickets for the Wimbledon Championships this month in the public ballot, it has emerged.Security staff at the All England Club discovered that the man, who has never been named, was on the waiting list when they did a re-sweep of the ballot, after he was given a restraining order in Dubai in February.The authorities in Dubai acted after the British No 1 was forced to hide in tears behind the umpire’s chair when the “fixated” admirer was removed from the stands and detained by police during her second-round match against Karolina Muchova.The previous day the man had given Raducanu a letter and asked for a photograph in a coffee shop. The 22-year-old had also been aware of his presence at tournaments in Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Doha in preceding weeks
EU accuses China’s AliExpress of ‘systemic failure’ over illegal goods
UK transport secretary calls HS2 an ‘appalling mess’ as she confirms delay - as it happened
Amazon boss tells staff AI means their jobs are at risk in coming years
Up to 70% of streams of AI-generated music on Deezer are fraudulent, says report
‘It’s going to be pretty monumental’: Harry Potter eyes Wallabies spot for Lions series | Jack Snape
Maro Itoje to captain British & Irish Lions for first time in Argentina warm-up