Can Rachel Reeves protect both households and the public finances from the energy price shock?

As war in the Middle East disrupts energy markets across the world, what are the implications for households and businesses in the UK and how should government respond to the price shock?

This IfG webinar explored Rachel Reeves’s options for supporting consumers – and what the ongoing conflict could mean for energy policy, the transition to net zero and for the public finances.

What are the implications of different scenarios for oil and gas shipments from the Middle East? What do they mean for the design of support packages? How would different approaches impact government objectives on inflation and growth? Has the government learned the lessons from the response to the 2022 price shock?

And do events in the Middle East accelerate or slow the transition to net zero? Should they lead to a rethink on North Sea licensing?

This webinar featured:

• Nick Butler, former Head of Strategy for BP and then senior policy adviser to Prime Minister Gordon Brown
• Dan Haile, Senior Economist at the Institute for Government
• Emma Pinchbeck, Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee and former CEO of Energy UK
• Andrew Sissons, Director, Sustainable Future Mission at NESTA

This webinar was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government.

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