Rachel Blake, the Labour Party parliamentary candidate for Cities of London and Westminster, has said her party would insulate homes as part of measures to cut bills and improve energy security.
In a speech on Monday 9 October to the party’s annual conference in Liverpool, she said many residents across the two cities live in homes that are cold, damp, leaking energy, and contributing to poor health.
“Every week, I’m speaking to residents who want to see action to upgrade their homes and make our energy system stable and secure,” she told the conference.
“That’s why it is right that Labour has a Green Prosperity Plan. Only Labour is seizing the huge potential to establish energy security and invest in homes.”
She said a Labour government would improve up to two million homes a year with energy efficiency upgrades.
“Upgrading all of the 19 million homes that need it and helping families to save up to £500 off their annual energy bills.
“Our warm homes plan would invest up to £6bn every year for 10 years to give families the grants and loans they need to upgrade the energy efficiency of our homes,” she said.
Blake has been a councillor in Tower Hamlets since 2014, representing Bow East ward. She served as a cabinet member on the council for seven years and previously held the role of deputy mayor. She was selected as Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Cities of London and Westminster in 2022.
Blake hopes to take the seat from Nickie Aiken, the Conservative MP who was elected on 12 December 2019 with majority of 3,953. Aiken was previously the leader of Westminster Council.
The seat has always been held by the Conservatives. But in May 2022, Westminster Council which was also held by the Conservatives since its creation, was won by Labour for the first time.
Fitzrovia West is within the parliamentary constituency of Cities of London and Westminster.
Fitzrovia East is part of Holborn and St Pancras which has been held by Labour’s Keir Starmer since 2015. At the 2019 election Starmer had a majority of 27,763.
The next general election must be held no later than January 2025 but is likely to be held sometime during 2024.