The first 100 days: Setting the stage for what’s to come

With the election behind us, we now know the direction of travel the UK has for the next few years. The key thing will be  to turn manifesto promises into action and move forward decisively. As the dust settles, some thoughts on what I will be looking for in the first 100 days:

1.       Let’s keep the net zero consensus: This is a echo of my reflections on the manifestos. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7210981069561434113/ The UK is very lucky that both of the main parties broadly agree on the energy transition and in the aftermath of the election that’s a precious thing. Now the contest is over, the UK should maximise this alignment to continue its role as a genuine global leader. Labour’s planned energy reforms should get proper scrutiny but let’s get them through as quickly we can.

2.       The ball is in your court, Ed: Having been Energy Secretary in the last Labour government, Ed Miliband has played a significant role in shaping energy policy. GB Energy and the National Wealth Fund are important promises and now is the time to turn them into action. I’m looking forward to seeing more detail in the King’s Speech on 17 July.

3.       There’s a much wider agenda: Important though the headline promises are, none of this is easy. Unlocking green industry and hitting carbon budgets needs more than target and headlines. The new Government’s industrial strategy needs to focus on building supply chains and creating a skills pipeline. It’s why at GE Vernova we have brought our global Next Engineers scheme to Stafford and why we held a nuclear supply chain conference in the spring. Promises to speed up planning processes by hiring 300 new officers are great signals about the direction of travel.

4.       Top of the in tray: Much of what the last government was working on was both important and not finished. The snap election meant commitments to Final Investment Decisions on carbon capture projects didn’t get over the line. The SMR competition is at a critical phase. And Labour could decide to increase the budget for this year’s offshore wind auction, sending a clear message about the need to increase the pace of deployment, after last year’s was unsuccessful.

5.       Look out to the world: The UK is a global leader on energy and there’s plenty of opportunity to demonstrate that is still true under the new government. Starmer will be at the NATO summit in Washington tomorrow (9th), at the UN in September and has planned an international investor summit by October at the latest. By then it’ll be the 100th day and we’ll have a better idea whether this government plans to walk the walk, as well as talk the talk.

6. Never forget where 100 days came from: Following the Great Depression, Franklin D Roosevelt was elected President and immediately summoned the US Congress for a special 100-day session to fix the economy. He prevented a disastrous run on the banks; took the US off the gold standard; passed groundbreaking legislation for the unemployed; and changed legislation which had created prohibition. The UK in 2024 faces different challenges but the ambition is right. Starmer has a crucial opportunity to build momentum, while firmly establishing his government's direction and priorities for the long term. As a global company with 120 years of heritage in the UK, we at GE Vernova want to help him start with the energy transition.