Shadow Energy Security Minister, Dr Alan Whitehead joins business and university leaders for Westminster Roundtable

Dr Alan Whitehead MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Energy Security has joined Purpose Coalition leaders Centrica, Leonardo and the University of Salford for a Westminster roundtable to explore the future of net-zero, skills and the just transition.  

Dr Whitehead, the MP for Southampton Test, is an expert in energy policy, and has served as Labour’s Shadow Energy Minister since 2016. Prior to this, Alan was the Chair of PRASEG, the Associate Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group and Co-Chair of APSRG, the Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group.  His special interests include further and higher education, local government, constitutional affairs, the environment, energy and transport policy. 

The roundtable brought together a range of Purpose Coalition Members to explore the future of net-zero, and the Purpose Coalition’s ‘Harnessing the Energy Transition’ Purpose Goal.  

One of Labour’s 5 Missions is to ‘Build a Clean Energy Superpower’, with a pledge to create a new, publicly owned energy company – Great British Energy. The event explored how the next Labour government can work with businesses committed to net-zero to deliver on it, the importance of a just transition to support communities across the UK, and how economic security and energy security go hand in hand, highlighted by the cost-of-living crisis. 

Chair of the Roundtable and former Member of Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet, Nick Forbes CBE, said  

“It was great to welcome Alan to the roundtable on such a crucial issue for Britain, and to bring together our key Purpose Coalition Members for an in-depth discussion. Net-Zero will be a crucial area of focus for the next government, and it is vital that businesses, universities and government work together in order to deliver on it.” 

The roundtable is part of a series of roundtables with Labour MPs Shadow Ministers ahead of the next election, which could come as soon as June, including Alistair Strathern MP, Shadow Women and Equalities Minister Ashley Dalton MP, Shadow Legal Services Minister Alex Cunningham MP, Chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee Liam Byrne MP, housebuilding champion Andrew Western MP and many more. You can see other upcoming events below.