Sir Keir Starmer is braced for a major U-turn today, with the Labour Party expected to announce it is officially ditching its flagship pledge to put £28 billion towards green investments.
The Leader of the Opposition is expected to confirm today that the pledge is being watered down. He is expected to say the changes are necessary as a result of changes to the economic landscape since 2021, when it was first announced.
An official announcement is expected later today.
It is thought that the Green Prosperity Plan, which includes creating a publicly-owned green power company, will not be dropped altogether. But the £28 billion target is expected to be abandoned.
Sir Keir Starmer is braced for a major U-turn today, with the Labour Party expected to announce it is officially ditching its flagship pledge to put £28 billion towards green investments
PA
Left-wing group Momentum slammed the reports of a backtrack, with a spokesperson saying: "This latest Starmer U-turn represents yet another capitulation to right-wing interests.
"Sadly, there is a huge gap emerging between the scale of the economic and environmental crises facing us, and the solutions being offered by a Labour leadership afraid of its own shadow."
Unite leader Sharon Graham said: "The Labour movement has to stand up to the Conservatives' false accusations of fiscal irresponsibility.
"There is a catastrophic crisis of investment in Britain's economic infrastructure."
The party has faced increasing scrutiny in recent weeks over the pledge, with senior party figures giving conflicting responses when asked whether or not the pledge was being ditched.
There were reports that it was being abandoned last month, but the party is yet to officially confirm it.
Starmer appeared to commit to the pledge just this week - days after Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves refused to commit to it ten times. Just yesterday, the Labour leader said the pledge to spend £28bn a year on green investment is “desperately needed".
He told Times Radio that he had been “unwavering” in relation to the party’s green energy plans, denying reports that the plan will be "scaled back".
Yesterday, Rishi Sunak accused Starmer of having "broken every single promise he was elected on".
He said: "We are bringing the waiting lists down for the longest waiters and making progress, but it is a bit rich to hear about promises from someone who has broken every single promise he was elected on.
"I think I have counted almost 30 in the last year. Pensions, planning, peerages, public sector pay, tuition fees, childcare, second referendums, defining a woman, although in fairness that was only 99% of a u-turn.
"The list goes on but the theme is the same, it is empty words, broken promises and absolutely no plan.”
But the Labour leader slammed Sunak for "parading as a man of integrity" over the poorly recieved trans joke, made while the mother of Brianna Ghey was sitting in the Commons gallery.
A furious Starmer said: "Of all the weeks to say that, when Brianna [Ghey]'s mother is in this chamber. Shame. Parading as a man of integrity, when he's got absolutely no responsibility."
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Rishi Sunak accused Starmer of having "broken every single promise he was elected on"
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After MPs on the Labour benches shouted "shameful", Speaker Lindsay Hoyle was forced to intervene, saying: "Either side. I think the member's getting carried away. Can I just say that our constituents want to hear the questions and they certainly want to hear the answers. They don't want to hear organised barracking. So please, I want no more."
Brianna Ghey's mother Esther attended PMQs today, a year on from the murder of her daughter.
Following Hoyle's interjection, Starmer added: "I think the role of the PM is to ensure that every single citizen of this country feels safe and respected. It's a shame that the Prime Minister doesn't share that."
