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Labour want ‘Made in China’ Britain with their import-heavy Net Zero plan – we CAN’T go ‘ever faster’, blasts Energy Sec
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LABOUR's rush to go green would turn Britain into a "made in China" economy, the Energy Secretary has warned.
Claire Coutinho declared this year's election to be a referendum on Net Zero - accusing the opposition of leaving Britain at the mercy of Chinese imports.
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She warned ministers are considering "very carefully" whether to follow the America's overnight decision to slap Chinese-made electric cars with 100 per cent tariffs.
And she blasted Labour's "ever faster, ever further" net zero policy as it would make Britain reliant on China for green tech imports rather than homegrown industry.
The Cabinet rising star also took aim at shadow energy secretary Ed Miliband for branding Ulez critics in London as "climate deniers" or "flat earthers".
Her comments came as she made an appearance on
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It comes as Claire Coutinho...
- ADMITTED her flagship home insulation scheme has been “slow on the uptake”
- HIT BACK at our Sun cabbie as the pair became locked in fiery feud
- WARNED meddling Euro judges to stay the hell out of countries’ climate policies
- PROMISED mini nuclear reactors will begin to be rolled out across the country within the next ten years
- REJECTED calls to bring back fracking to the UK to help energy security
- WARNED ministers could follow the USA and slap Chinese electric car imports with 100 per cent tariffs
Ms Coutinho was grilled by London cabbie Grant Davis - who is also The Sun Cabinet Transport Secretary - and the Sun's Political Editor Harry Cole.
Asked if she will mirror US President Joe Biden's new levies on Chinese-made EVs, Ms Coutinho said ministers were looking at "all of these things very carefully."
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She went on: "I think it's also really important that you protect British industry. We've got to get that balance right.
"What I do in my area is look at the supply chain for all of our energy.
"And I've talked a lot about the threat of China and why we want to have things made here."
Launching a scathing attack on Sir Keir Starmer's party, she added: "But let me tell you, if you look at Labour's policy, which is to go ever faster, ever further, actually what you really risk is having a transition which is made in China because they're going to have to import a bunch of things from abroad."
On whether she would commit to a referendum on net zero, the Energy Secretary said the next election will already present voters with a choice on the matter.
She said: "If people want to make a vote on this issue, they're going to have the Labour Party with Ed Miliband at the helm.
"When people were questioning Ulez in London, he was calling them climate deniers and flat earthers.
"On the other hand, they'll have someone who says in parties like Reform, scrap the whole thing.
"We don't need any of it.
"And in the middle you've got the Conservative Party who says there's a balance to be struck here."
Meanwhile, London cabbie Mr Davis also slammed Mr Miliband for pushing for "suicidal" targets on the statute book while he was Labour leader.
On London's Ultra Low Emission Zone, he fumed: "I had to buy a new second-hand car.
"And I have had to trade my old diesel cab in for this. That was out of my disposable income.
"I wanted to go on holiday. I wanted to do some things but that's all been pushed back because I've got to meet green initiatives."
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Ms Coutinho told him she thought Ulez was "an appalling policy", adding: "It's exactly how you don't want to do climate change policy. You're making people who have the least pay the most and you are not providing solutions for them.
“This is exactly why I think the next election is really important. Because I don't want the Labour Party to do to the rest of the country what they did to London.”
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