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RACHEL REEVES SPEECH DISRUPTED BY CLIMATE ACTIVISTS OVER NEW DRAX SUBSIDIES
Two protesters disrupted Rachel Reeves keynote speech opposing new subsidies for Drax Power Station at the Yorkshire Labour Party Conference, and were forcibly ejected by security. The protestors challenged the recent decision by Labour to grant new subsidies from 2027-2031, highlighting the impact of further subsidies estimated to cost £2bn on bill payers amid ongoing energy bill hikes and widespread fuel poverty in the UK [1, 2].
The protesters stood up and spoke about the impact on bill payers as well as the harm Drax is doing to forests and communities abroad and highlighted the fact that despite Drax being the UK’s single biggest carbon emitter it has received billions in green subsidies [3]. The disruption led to Rachel Reeves pausing her speech whilst protesters were forcibly ejected by security.
This disruption came just weeks after the Government extended subsidies for Drax in contray to advice from the Climate Change Committee [4] and Drax announced earnings this week of over £1 billion for 2024 [5]. The same week that a protester was found guilty of obstructing a Drax train in 2021, after the judge instructed the jury to ignore their conscience when they were struggling to decide a verdict [6].
Rosie, Axe Drax, said:
Labour’s decision to extend subsidies for Drax is an absolute disaster for bill payers, forests, communities suffering Drax’s deadly pollution and our planet. Labour has once again shown that they are on the side of the lobbyists – choosing to hand billions in bill payer money to Drax, who have just announced over £1bn in earnings, whilst slashing winter fuel payments and presiding over yet another energy bill price hike. Rather than funding Drax’s shareholders profits, we desperately need investment in real green energy and climate action that will bring down emissions and bills – like home insulation.
Sam, Axe Drax, said:
We have seen, time and time again, Labour siding with lobbyists and big polluters over the public. Their recent decision to extend Drax’s subsidies means higher energy bills, more forests destroyed, communities polluted and climate chaos. Giving billions more to Drax, the UK’s biggest carbon emitter, whilst slashing pensioners winter fuel payments and seeing millions of people in this country forced to choose between heating and eating as energy bills rise yet again is an absolute disgrace.
ENDS
Axe Drax
Axe Drax is a UK based grassroots network that actively opposes Drax through disruptive direct action. We campaign for an end to Drax’s subsidies, due to the environmental, societal and planetary impacts of burning trees for energy. We are building a broad based network, working in solidarity with frontline communities to effectively confront the environmentally destructive biomass industry and the social and economic forces driving climate change.
Drax
Drax Power Station, located near Selby in Yorkshire, is the world’s biggest woody biomass power station and the UK’s single largest carbon emitter. Drax sources from around the world, primarily the US, Canada, and the Baltic States. Drax’s wood pellet production sites, predominantly located in environmental justice communities, emit large amounts of pollutants, such as PM10, PM2.5 and VOCs which are linked to respiratory and pulmonary health impacts. Woody biomass is counted as carbon neutral by the UK Government, allowing Drax to receive renewable energy subsidies (CfDs and ROCs).
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Notes for Editors
[1] Miliband hands £2bn in subsidies to wood-burning power stationhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/02/10/miliband-hand-2bn-subsidies-wood-burning-power-station-drax/
[2] Surprise energy bill rise set to hit families and pensioners the hardest: https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/surprise-energy-bill-rise-set-to-hit-families-and-pensioners-the-hardest
[3] The largest emitters in the UK: annual review https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/the-largest-emitters-in-the-uk-annual-review
[4] ‘Large-scale’ biomass must end after 2027 to help UK reach net zero, major report sayshttps://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/large-scale-biomass-must-end-after-2027-to-help-uk-reach-net-zero-5007457
[5] ‘Record’ Drax earnings top £1 billion https://uk.news.yahoo.com/record-drax-earnings-top-1-104345208.html
[6] Drax climate protester says judge ‘bullied’ jury to find her guilty https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/26/climate-protester-says-jurors-bullied-by-leeds-court-judge-to-find-her-guilty