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Thursday, February 13, 2025

Labour Under Fire Over Broken Pledges on Jobs and Energy Bills

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The SNP has accused the Labour Party of failing to keep key election promises, as doubts grow over the timeline for job creation in Aberdeen and energy bill reductions across the UK.

GB Energy’s boss revealed that Labour’s pledge to create 1,000 jobs in Aberdeen could take up to 20 years, with no clear date for fulfilling the promise to cut household energy bills by £300.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn described it as “yet another broken promise from Keir Starmer,” demanding the Prime Minister explain why these commitments remain unfulfilled.

Flynn, the Aberdeen South MP, criticised the UK government for “failing” to deliver the investment needed to maximise Scotland’s renewable energy potential.

He highlighted that the Chancellor’s recent economic speech contained no new funding for Scotland, further fuelling concerns about Westminster’s priorities.

Labour had pledged to reduce energy bills by £300, but instead, costs have risen twice since the election, with average bills increasing by around £150 due to price cap hikes in October and January.

The Labour Party also promised not to raise National Insurance, yet the UK budget introduced a hike, leading to job losses across the country.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the UK unemployment rate rose from 4.3% to 4.4% in December, with a drop of 47,000 pay-rolled employees—the largest decline since November 2020.

The S&P Global flash purchasing managers’ survey reported UK businesses are cutting jobs at the fastest rate since the 2009 financial crisis, excluding the Covid pandemic.

In January, Sainsbury’s announced 3,000 job cuts, adding to the growing employment concerns.

Meanwhile, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) revealed that business confidence has plunged to its lowest level since the Liz Truss mini-budget.

Over half of firms surveyed plan to raise prices to offset the impact of the National Insurance increase.

The Chancellor’s economic plan offered no new investment for Scotland, focusing instead on initiatives centred in the south of England.

One of the Labour government’s first actions was to scrap £800 million in funding earmarked for an exascale supercomputer at Edinburgh University.

Flynn condemned the decision, citing it as part of a broader failure to support Scotland’s economy and innovation sector.

He also criticised the government for not delivering the £1 billion promised for Carbon Capture projects and for failing to fully replace EU funding lost after Brexit.

“Scotland was promised change, but instead, we’re seeing the same Westminster failures,” Flynn said.

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