“As the Tories continue with their bonfire of green policies, we will need rapid and radical action to combat climate breakdown. Now is not the time to scale back our green industrial strategy.”
Bell Ribeiro-Addy
By Matt Willgress, Labour Outlook
Today, Keir Starmer announced that he would be dropping the Labour pledge to invest £28bn to tackle the climate emergency – a day after taking to the airwaves to emphasise the party’s ‘unwavering’ commitment to it.
The u-turn came as the BBC reported average temperatures last year broke the 1.5C temperature-rise threshold. While we are already seeing the devastating effects of the climate emergency across the globe – including in the UK – 1.5C is the point at which they are likely to become catastrophic.
The announcement has sparked fury from Labour MPs.
In an LBC radio interview, Barry Gardiner described the decision as “economically illiterate, environmentally irresponsible and politically jejune.”
Nadia Whittome posted “for the first time, global warming has exceeded 1.5C across a year. We’ve suffered the worst drop in living standards in a generation.
“The solution to both is the same: a green industrial strategy that creates jobs and cuts bills and emissions. We can’t afford to abandon it.”
Pointing to the damage done by the Tories, Bell Ribeiro-Addy likewise argued that now was the time to ramp up action to tackle the emergency:
“Global warming has exceeded 1.5° for a 1-year period for the first time on record.”
“As the Tories continue with their bonfire of green policies, we will need rapid and radical action to combat climate breakdown.
“Now is not the time to scale back our green industrial strategy.”
Mick Whitley, a former member of Labour’s frontbench Climate Change and Net Zero team, blasted the decision:
“The dumping of the Green Prosperity Plan casts major doubt on whether Labour can provide the leadership to meet the challenges of a fast warming world.
“This latest u-turn will leave many voters asking what, if anything, our party stands for.
“Dangerously short-sighted politics.”
In response to early briefings that the pledge was to be ditched, the former Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Net Zero, Olivia Blake said “a disappointing briefing. As the world heats by over 1.5C, we should protect key planks of our climate agenda – for example, a National Wealth Fund; Local Power Plan; GB Energy; Warm Homes Plan; No new oil and gas – and push, as a movement, for more green investment.”
While today’s announcement has retained the National Wealth Fund, Local Power Plan, and Great British Energy, it has significantly scaled back plans to insulate homes 19 million to only 5 million while reduced the overall proposed level of green investment from £140bn to £24bn over the parliament.
A spokesperson for Momentum said, “the Tories have monumentally failed on home insulation.
“Labour’s public investment scheme means warmer homes, lower bills & less carbon. It’s a win-win.
“But instead of standing by a popular, urgent policy, this timid Starmer Leadership is capitulating to a failed Government. The end result will be colder homes, higher bills and more emissions.”
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