What does the pledge mean? 

The pledge seems to refer to an entirely new piece of legislation (rather than an update to current legislation) named the “Energy Independence Act”. It forms part of the manifesto chapter “Make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower”, and follows an apparent commitment to achieve “energy independence from dictators like Putin”.

While the manifesto doesn’t outline exactly what will be included, it says the legislation will “establish the framework for Labour’s energy and climate policies”. We’ve asked the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) for clarity on what this “framework” may be. 

The wording of the pledge specifically refers to an act, rather than to a bill. This implies that the pledge will be fulfilled when the bill passes into law, rather than when the bill is introduced to Parliament. No timeframe is given for when this will be done. 

What progress has been made?

An Energy Independence Bill has not yet been formally introduced to Parliament, but it appears to have been referenced in the Labour government’s first King’s Speech, suggesting that legislation may be brought forward during the current parliamentary session.

The King’s Speech said: “Legislation will be brought forward to help the country achieve energy independence and unlock investment in energy infrastructure.” 

We’ve asked DESNZ to confirm this was a reference to the manifesto’s promised Energy Independence Act, and when this bill may be introduced. It said information on the Energy Independence Act would be announced “in due course”, but didn’t provide any further specifics.