Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has told Labour conference that the party must bring energy back into public ownership.
Delegates at Labour Party’s conference in Liverpool have voted in favour of nationalising energy as ‘privatisation has failed’.
The motion, proposed by Labour’s largest backer, the union Unite, “reaffirmed” the party’s commitment to public ownership of railways and the energy industry.
The motion passed with only a handful of votes against it, and was backed by three major Labour backing unions – Unite, ASLEF and TSSA. It stated that ‘privatisation of our key national infrastructure has failed and has allowed rampant profiteering from energy firms’. It also expressed concern that ‘privatised electricity and gas networks are an obstacle to any plan for a negotiated transition to green jobs and a greener economy’.
The motion also saw conference reaffirm Labour’s commitment to: a publicly-owned railway; the delivery of infrastructure projects including HS2 in full in its original scope and Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has told Labour conference that the party must bring energy back into public ownership.
She said that a Labour government must bring the energy companies into public ownership because they were guilty of excessive profiteering during a cost of living crisis and were: “Filling their boots by picking the pockets of workers.”
She added: “Labour’s job is to be the voice of workers and our communities and yes, it should make different choices, we must take energy into public ownership.
“Labour – now is the time to be bold, to do what it says on the Labour tin. Back ordinary men and women and be their voice – the people who clean our roads, who teach our children, who look after our parents. Let’s put our arms around them like we did in 1945. And Labour, let them be in no doubt whose side we are on.”
However, the Labour Party has rejected calls to nationalise the energy industry.
Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds told the BBC: “We’re not going to nationalise the energy system.”
Asked if they would follow the vote, he said: “No.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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