Luke Myer MP has welcomed today’s announcement by the Prime Minister that the Government will accept the Fingleton Review’s recommendations in full and apply its lessons across the entire industrial strategy. The review found that the UK had become the most expensive place in the world to build nuclear power, held back by layers of duplication, slow processes and a regulatory culture that prioritised procedure over outcomes.

Luke was one of eight Labour MPs who wrote to the Prime Minister in November urging the Government to accept the review in full, warning that a “half-hearted response” would damage investor confidence and lock Britain into years of higher costs. Reports at the time suggested ministers might row back, so today’s confirmation marks a significant step forward – and a major win for backbench MPs working alongside industry and pro-growth groups.

For Teesside, clearer and faster regulation is vital. Hartlepool is expected to host up to 12 Advanced Modular Reactors, supporting around 2,500 skilled jobs and providing clean power for 1.5 million homes.

Alongside wider government plans — including Sizewell C, the first government-funded nuclear station since the 1980s, and the launch of a national SMR programme at Wylfa with Rolls-Royce SMR — the reforms help ensure that good projects can move from concept to construction more quickly.

Today’s decision also sits within the Government’s wider mission to deliver clean, secure, homegrown power. Ministers have confirmed long-term investment in SMRs, fusion research, nuclear fuels, and extensions at existing stations such as Hartlepool. Together, these steps signal the largest nuclear building programme in half a century and a renewed commitment to the skilled unionised jobs that communities across the North East rely on.

Luke Myer MP said:

“This is the right decision for Britain’s energy future and an important moment for Teesside. The Fingleton Review exposed a system that slowed good projects and pushed up costs. I’m delighted the Government has accepted the recommendations in full – and gone further. It shows that backbench MPs working with industry really can drive change.”