The National (Scotland)

Starmer ‘rattled’ as ditching of green

- BY HAMISH MORRISON

LABOUR have been accused of being “rattled” when they were called out in the wake of the Spring Budget for ditching their flagship green spending plans.

SNP economy spokespers­on Drew Hendry skewered Labour for their “abandonmen­t of the just transition” by scrapping a major commitment to spend £28 billion a year on green infrastruc­ture if they came to power.

Responding to the Spring Budget unveiled yesterday, Hendry said the Government had no plans for “serious high-return growth”.

He said: “We haven’t heard it mentioned here today, we don’t know where it is. That £28bn is needed.

“The Labour advisers have told the Labour Party that £28bn a year is needed, everybody knows that £28bn a year is needed and yet none of them are willing to make the investment that’s needed to protect us. The abandonmen­t of the just transition and its fantastic ... ”

He was interrupte­d by heckles from Labour MPs and said: “They’re chuntering from a sedentary position on the Labour front bench.”

SNP Westminste­r leader Stephen Flynn shouted: “You’ve upset the Labour leader.”

Hendry continued: “Imagine picking up on that one. Their big U-turn, their big abandonmen­t of the just transition. Well it’s a pretty big U-turn, I know it’s one of many but it’s a pretty big U-turn.

“The fact that they’re rattled shows how much they feel this.

“Their and the Government’s abandonmen­t of the just transition and its fantastic opportunit­y, from the Tories and from their shadows in the Labour Party is reckless and stupid.”

It came as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt was accused of a “betrayal” of public

 ?? ?? Keir Starmer scrapped his party’s commitment to spending £28bn a year on green infrastruc­ture
Keir Starmer scrapped his party’s commitment to spending £28bn a year on green infrastruc­ture

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