Thousands of green energy jobs in Coventry and across the West Midlands would be at risk if Reform UK scraps moves to achieve Net Zero, voters have been warned ahead of the upcoming local elections.
Labour’s Business Secretary visited Coventry on April 22 where he championed local investment in clean energy and the employment and economic growth it generates for the region.
Peter Kyle was visiting the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) in Coventry, where he was joined by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker and Coventry City Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, Cllr Jim O’Boyle.
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With Reform UK set to make major gains in Coventry on May 7, they warned people that the party’s opposition to clean energy threatens the region’s £5.5 billion investment zone – putting thousands of jobs at risk before they are even created.
Touring the UK’s flagship battery development facility – the only one of its kind in Europe – they highlighted how UKBIC is helping businesses turn battery prototypes into commercially viable designs for large-scale production.
The visit came just days after detailed planning permission was granted for GreenPower Park, the £2.5 billion redevelopment of Coventry Airport set to create a centre of excellence for battery technology, advanced manufacturing and clean energy, with the potential to deliver up to 6,000 new jobs.
Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, said: “Here in Coventry, you can see the future being built – world-leading facilities like UKBIC, and major investments like Green Power Park creating thousands of skilled, well-paid jobs. Reform’s war on clean energy threatens good jobs right here in the West Midlands.”
Peter Kyle speaks to the Local Democracy Reporting Service at UKBIC in Coventry(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
Speaking after the visit, he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “So many of the energy-consuming industries, from cars to households, are going to be using batteries into the future. And if you’re creating that technology here, then of course the wealth that comes from it and the jobs that flow from it are going to be created here as well.
“I see a danger on the horizon. And the danger is the Reform Party, because they don’t like clean or green technologies. This is the future, we’ve got to invest in it, nurture it, and make sure that the jobs created from it, the businesses created from it, the wealth that’s created from it, stays here in the West Midlands. It’s what we promised to do. It’s what we’ve done in the past, and it’s what we’ll continue to do into the future.”
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West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said Nigel Farage’s “war on clean energy jobs” threatens more than 83,000 jobs across the West Midlands and could undermine the region’s £5.5 billion Investment Zone.
“Farage’s policies would also threaten the UK’s clean energy future – and the new jobs it will bring . The Climate Change Committee has found that between 135,000 to 725,000 net new jobs could be created in low-carbon sectors by 2030, in areas like offshore wind, hydrogen, grid expansion, and heat pump manufacture and installation. These future opportunities could be lost forever under Reform’s anti-investment stance.”
The Mayor has also raised concerns that Reform UK councils would block the projects for political convenience. Reform UK’s campaign in Lincolnshire framed renewable energy as a “great con” – dismissing both the economic case and the energy security argument for clean power.
Mr Parker said: “We have a £5.5 billion investment zone. Companies are choosing to locate here because they believe in what we’re building – a modern, clean economy. If Reform run any of our local councils, that confidence evaporates.
“These are real jobs right now in places like Coventry. It’s supply chain contracts for businesses across our region. Reform would sacrifice all of that for the sake of a culture war they think they can win.
“We’ve fought hard to bring this investment here. I’m not going to let Nigel Farage and his party trash our economic future for the sake of a headline.”
Exterior view of UKBIC (Battery Industrialisation Centre) in Rowley Road, Coventry(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
The West Midlands Investment Zone was confirmed in 2024 and forms a central part of the region’s economic strategy.
The Green Power Park and Green Innovation Corridor are attracting businesses working in clean energy, advanced manufacturing and low-carbon technology. The zone is expected to create tens of thousands of jobs over the coming decade – whilst millions of public money has already been invested in the project.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council, said: “We are investing in the industries of the future to keep Coventry at the cutting edge of innovation – and that means backing projects like GreenPower Park.
“These are thousands of good, well-paid jobs for local people and real opportunities for businesses across our city.
“Reform’s position is a direct threat to all of that. They would put politics before people’s livelihoods and risk pulling investment out of Coventry just as we’re building momentum.”
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