Go green ‘without raising prices’
Ministers must seize the “golden opportunity” to switch to green energy without increasing prices, the National Infrastructure Commission said.
Half the UK’s power should be provided by renewables by 2030, up from 30 per cent today and 12 per cent five years ago, it said. Most should be delivered by established wind and solar power, the report says. SHEFFIELD MP Jared O’Mara has told of his shame at “the man I was” as he spoke for the first time since being allowed to return to the Labour Party.
The MP for Sheffield Hallam blamed “lad culture” for making a series of racist, homophobic and misogynistic online comments which last week earned him a formal warning from the party.
The 36-year-old won his seat from Liberal Democrat MP Nick Clegg in a shock election victory, but more than a year on has still not made his maiden speech in Parliament.
He claimed bullying, low selfesteem and depression were factors when he posted the comments and said he hoped mandatory training by the Labour Party would “deepen his understanding.”
Mr O’Mara said: “I want to use this opportunity to restate my full and unreserved apology for the comments I made online as a young man. I grew up in an environment where lad culture and prejudicial language were normalised.
“I was in a bad place back then, and after being bullied and called many of those abusive slurs myself, I repeated them as a way of deflecting from my own low selfesteem and depression. But this is not an excuse and I take full # responsibility for the unacceptable language I used.
“I am ashamed of the man I was then. I’ve been on a journey of education since, and I am continuing to listen to and learn from others’ experiences and educate myself about tackling prejudice and discrimination.”
After months of investigations, during which the MP was suspended from Labour, the party’s Disputes Panel issued Mr O’Mara with a formal warning last week.
The MP added: “I will be pleased to attend the training mandated by the panel, and I hope this will deepen my understanding of these issues further.
“I am pleased that this matter is now resolved and that I can focus my attention fully on representing the people of Sheffield Hallam as their Labour MP.
“I regret that this has impacted upon them and will work hard to restore the faith they put in me at last year’s general election.”