Top energy firms to hold crisis talks on Labour’s windfall tax plans
Major oil and gas firms are set to hold crisis talks this week to discuss concerns about Labour’s windfall tax plans for the sector.
Industry body Offshore Energy UK (OEUK) will host the meetings, which will take place on Tuesday and Thursday.
“We remain deeply concerned about what Labour’s proposals could do to our people. If we can’t get companies to invest here, there are no jobs. It’s that simple,” David Whitehouse, the head of OEUK, said.
The organisation warned that up to 42,000 jobs could be lost in the energy sector as a result of Labour’s tax plans for the fossil fuel industry.
“These proposals would deliver a hammer blow to the energy we need today and to the homegrown transition to cleaner energies,” Whitehouse added.
A Labour spokesperson insisted the party would “work with the industry” and that a “fair and proportionate” windfall tax would only apply “while there are windfall profits being made”.
They added: “We have been consistent that a proper windfall tax means raising the rate of the windfall tax to match the rate in Norway, abolishing the investment allowances inside the windfall tax, and that these changes account for the vast majority we would raise from a windfall tax.”
Labour recently dropped its pledge to invest £28bn a year in green energy projects, after accusing the Tories of deciding to “max out” the country’s credit card.