Labour frontbencher Ed Miliband says setting up new local energy companies could be a positive future step despite a similar effort with Robin Hood Energy ending in failure. The shadow climate change secretary visited Mansfield on Thursday (February 2) to speak to college students about the Labour Party's energy policy.
The visit started at the Mansfield and Ashfield Sixth Form College, where students spoke to both Ed Miliband and Andy Abrahams, the elected Labour Mayor of Mansfield. A question from one of the students referenced the energy firm Shell recording record profits last year, and asked whether a Labour government would make sure companies such as Shell paid their fair share of tax.
Mr Miliband responded by discussing Labour's idea to create a new publicly-owned company, Great British Energy, with an aim for energy bills to be slashed and the UK becoming energy independent as a result. But discussing the need for more UK investment in the renewables sector, Mr Miliband then questioned why there couldn't be companies such as "Mansfield Energy" set up in future working alongside the national firm.
