Environmental Leaders Are Confident About Labour's Green Agenda Despite £28bn U-Turn

Labour remains confident about their record on environmental policy, despite recent drama over the decision to drop the £28bn price tag from its flagship Green Prosperity Plan.

In his first major speech since the change to the policy's costing, shadow environment secretary Ed Miliband struck an optimistic tone on Labour's plans at a Green Alliance event in central London. 

"In climate, the power to persuade comes from the power of example – that is what Labour will show if we win – on clean power, on fossil fuels, on financial rules, on ambition," he said. 

"If Labour wins the General Election, it will help galvanise global action and send a signal that a climate agenda laser-focused on bills, jobs, and security, can help progressives win."

Labour has argued they were no longer able to meet their spending commitments for the Green Prosperity Plan after the government "crashed the economy" with former prime minister Liz Truss's fiscal adventures in 2022. Labour is now pledging to spend an additional £4.7bn a year alongside £10bn of spending already committed to by the government, with home insulations plans taking the biggest hit. 

Holly Brazier Tope, head of politics at Green Alliance, told PoliticsHome Miliband's speech was "incredibly well received" and said campaigners and businesses would welcome the clarity of messaging from Labour following the £28bn u-turn in February – which she said was a "let down" and signalled a "diminishment of ambition".

"There has been a silence following the £28bn u-turn, and it was creating a bit of a void that Labour really did need to fill – causing a lot of uncertainty both with campaigners and NGOs, but also with business and lots of people that we've been talking to as to whether they