UK MP calls Morocco key to UK’s energy future, urges strengthening of partnership

UK Labour MP Joe Powell described Morocco as a nation of strategic importance to the UK and key to its energy future in his recent Huffpost UK article.

Powell welcomed the Morocco-UK Power Project, recently recognized in TIME Magazine’s World’s Top GreenTech rankings, calling it more than just a bold step toward the UK’s Net Zero ambitions but “a strategic investment in the UK’s energy resilience.”

“Built with a stable, long-standing partner just across the Mediterranean, it shows what is possible when we think globally and act in partnership,” argues the MP for Kensington & Bayswater constituency in London.

The project envisages providing enough clean electricity to power 7 million British homes, lowering wholesale electricity prices by over 9% in its first year to support the government’s Warm Homes agenda, cutting UK power sector emissions by about 10%, and delivering more than £20 billion in value to the British economy.

The potential for collaboration on Net Zero is immense, he said, citing Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s remarks on Morocco’s growing role in the EV battery supply chain and its strategic position in the clean energy transition.

With strong production capabilities, he added, Morocco stands out as a valuable ally, offering key opportunities for sustainable growth and innovation as the UK seeks to deepen trade and energy partnerships.

Powell’s support for strong ties between the two kingdoms wasn’t new, as he had previously demonstrated with the launch of the “Labour Friends of Morocco” (LFM) group earlier this year, aimed at fortifying relations and advocating for deeper diplomatic, economic, cultural, and educational ties.

This initiative brings together parliamentarians, councillors, and community leaders to forge lasting partnerships founded on shared values and meaningful cooperation.

The Labor MP emphasized “Morocco as a key trading partner as well, supplying British supermarket shelves with fresh produce,” with the country being one of the largest exporters of fresh vegetables to the UK, accounting for 7.5% of the total volume of these exports in 2023.

He also described Morocco as pioneering renewable energy solutions and playing a crucial role in regional security, while highlighting the contributions of the 80,000-strong Moroccan community in the UK to its culture, innovation, and public life, which he said he is immensely proud to represent in Parliament.

Sharing a historic diplomatic relationship over 800 years old, trade between the UK and Morocco grew by more than 60% in 2024, reaching £3.8 billion, Powell added. Morocco supplies a quarter of the tomatoes, a fifth of all soft fruits, and 60% of the UK’s canned sardines, while the UK exports cars, refined oil, and metals to Morocco, highlighting a mutually beneficial trade partnership.

Beyond trade, Morocco has become an increasingly popular destination for British tourists, said the Labor MP, with over a million UK visitors in 2024 alone, and strengthening ties in tourism, education, and cultural exchange will create more opportunities for collaboration and growth.

“With Morocco set to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup, we have an incredible opportunity to build on this partnership– not just in sport, but on economic growth, clean energy, and deeper collaboration between our two nations,” he concluded, encouraging who share the vision to join in advancing UK-Morocco relations.

This call echoes growing demands to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two kingdoms, as both major parties in the UK agree that Morocco is a reliable partner globally and regionally, according to experts.

A growing number of MPs from both the Conservative and Labour parties are urging the government to take a strong stance in support of Morocco’s position on the Sahara issue, following the lead of the US and other European allies, as this move has become a strategic imperative that could benefit the UK and its interests, particularly in terms of trade and foreign policy objectives.