Sir Keir Starmer speaks about Sizewell C on visit to Ipswich

Sir Keir Starmer visited Suffolk New College on Tuesday after the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, announced a new £14.2billion investment into Sizewell C. 

He spoke about how the project will help bring several jobs to the region and the importance of bringing companies like Rolls-Royce to help develop the coastal area. 

The leader also believes that this investment will help secure the future of the country and ensure "Putin can't put his boots on our throats".

The Prime Minister acknowledged the push back to the plans, which has been led by campaign groups such as Stop Sizewell C and Together Against Sizewell C, but added that there are a lot of young people in the region who will gain from the new power station.

Sir Keir Starmer visited Suffolk New College on Tuesday (Image: Shikhar Talwar) Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledged a new era for nuclear power in Britain (Image: Peter Cziborra/PA)

He said: "I do understand that there are some people who do not think we should press on with a project like that, but equally, I would say there are all of these young people here, all of whom come from Suffolk, and you can see the excitement in their eyes because they know that this is their potential for well-paid jobs for many years to come. 

"This means they won't have to do what many young people would have to do, which is to get out and to get on to leave the place they grew up in that they love. 

"Yes, I acknowledge that there are some people here who say don't do it, I don't agree with them, but I respect that it is their view. 

"But I would equally say to anyone, come and talk to the apprentices here, come and talk to the young people here. 

"This is their futures, their family's future, and their communities' future is bound up in what we are doing."

He said today is a really important day for the country (Image: Shikhar Talwar)

Sizewell C was given a new £14.2billion investment  (Image: Sizewell C/EDF) The leader had spent the morning speaking to students at the college and engaging with the student council. 

Before his speech, he was also introduced by two former students of Suffolk New, who spoke about the job placements they had during their studies and how, for one of them, the next step is an apprenticeship. 

While going through his press round, and speaking to the media with his very firm handshake, Sir Keir said Sizewell C will help push opportunities like these, especially with the new college set to be built in Leiston.

The Prime Minister spoke to several students (Image: Shikhar Talwar) He said: "I will tell you what Suffolk gains, it gains good, well-paid jobs and fantastic futures for some of the apprentices here. 

"This is Suffolk New College, it is tied into Sizewell, and you can see the reaction from the young people here because they can see today that their futures will be tied up in those jobs in Sizewell. 

"We have even got a school council here of 11 to 16-year-olds who have been regularly going to Sizewell, and they and their families in their communities are really excited that this investment is going on in their area, and it's their job of the future. 

"More broadly, the energy security will drive down energy prices, something we have been missing, particularly in the last few years.

"So there are huge benefits here and I am glad we are doing this, we haven't actually managed to get a project like this going for the best part of 30 years, so I am really pleased."

Julia Pike of Sizewell with Alan Pease of Suffolk New College on the announcement of the new college (Image: Lucy Taylor) The principal of Suffolk New College, Alan Pease, also spoke in support of the new power station and the college that it will fund in Leiston. 

"All of this is for our young people," he said. 

"So we are training them across a range of technical and vocational areas, and they are going to acquire the skills that these infrastructure projects like Sizewell are going to need."