Labour’s Reeves won’t commit to £28bn pledge – after being asked 10 times
Rachel Reeves has refused to commit to Labour’s pledge of investing £28bn in green technologies if her party wins the next election.
Asked 10 times by Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby if the policy remained in place, the shadow chancellor appeared to dodge the question.
Instead, she pointed to increasing government debt and “the Tory damage to our economy”, promising she would “never play fast and loose with the public finances” were she to take the keys to Number 11.
Politics live: Starmer gives major business speech – after Speaker admits calling Labour leader ‘PM’
Ms Reeves first announced the £28bn pledge at the party’s 2021 conference, saying there would be “no dither or delay” in spending to tackle the climate crisis – and encouraging private sector investment into green projects in the process.
But she watered down the policy last summer, saying the figure would instead be a target to work towards – and blaming rising interest rates and the “damage” the Conservatives had done to the economy for the change in direction.
The costly pledge has long been used by the Tories to attack Labour’s fiscal responsibility, following Rishi Sunak’s decision to scrap a number of the government’s own green pledges.
And in recent weeks, it has appeared to be hanging by a thread, with some Labour figures calling on the party to drop the plan altogether rather than leave themselves open to government criticism.
But on Sunday, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds insisted to Sky News it was still the “ambition”, even if the timetable could fall back.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Climate change: What is Labour promising?
Asked by Beth Rigby to be “straight with voters” over whether she could commit to the £28bn investment plan, Ms Reeves said: “Well, the Conservatives crashed the economy and sent mortgage rates and the cost of government borrowing soaring. And that does change what will be possible for an incoming Labour government.
“But there’s going to be at least one more budget on 6 March, possibly another one later in the year, before we get those final numbers of what I hope an incoming Labour government, if we win the election, would inherit.
“And I’ve been really clear that all of our policies will be subject to the fiscal rules to get debt falling as a share of GDP.”
Pushed to answer the question again, Ms Reeves repeated her concerns about the cost of debt and borrowing, and hinted at moving away from the pledge.
“If there’s one thing that I hope voters know about me it is that I will never play fast and loose with the public finances, because when you do, you play fast and loose with family finances and you affect businesses as well,” she said.
“I will never do that. The fiscal rules will come first and all of our policies will be subject to the iron discipline.”
Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge
Sky News Monday to Thursday at 7pm.
Watch live on Sky channel 501, Freeview 233, Virgin 602, the Sky News website and app or YouTube.
The shadow chancellor did name certain green projects Labour wanted to invest in, including green hydrogen, carbon capture and offshore wind.
But she again cast doubt on the policy, saying: “We want to make those investments alongside business in the opportunities of the future. But everything has to be affordable.
“I think what people can hear loud and clear is that all of our policies will be fully costed, fully funded and subject to fiscal rules.”
Asked to acknowledge if Labour will not hit the £28bn figure, Ms Reeves replied: “What I absolutely acknowledge is the state of the public finances… the Tory damage to our economy is very different from when we first set out our ambitions.
Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts
“And the governments have sent interest rates soaring because of their recklessness and irresponsibility with the economy. And that does affect what an incoming Labour government would do.”
The shadow chancellor concluded: “All of our policies, and I know, I will just repeat it one more time, are subject to the fiscal rules and the Green Prosperity Plan is no exception.”
Police have announced a £20,000 reward in the hunt for the killers of a man in north London in March.
Mahad Abdi Mohamed, 27, died after being shot in the head in Waverley Road, Tottenham at 8.45pm on 20 March, the Metropolitan Police said.
The Met, which announced the reward from the independent charity Crimestoppers, said officers believed the shooting was a case of mistaken identity.
Police now want to speak to two people in connection with the incident.
DCI Rebecca Woodsford, who is leading the investigation, said: “There is someone out there who knows what happened that night, and we are urging those individuals to find it in their heart to come forward. It could be exactly what we need to locate those responsible.”
Images of the two people police would like to speak to. Pics: Metropolitan Police
A targeted attack
Police believe the suspects, who got out of a stolen Mitsubishi Outlander, which was later recovered burned out, were taking part in a targeted attack.
On the night of the murder, Mahad had spent the early evening with his friend at their home.
They were breaking their fast outside when the Mitsubishi Outlander approached and the suspects opened fire, striking Mahad and his friend multiple times.
Mahad’s 26-year-old friend received treatment for a gunshot wound to his leg.
The force suspects another stolen vehicle, a blue Jaguar, was used to transport the suspects to and from the Mitsubishi.
Read more from Sky News:
Driver guilty of murder in Christmas Day rampage
Ukraine “hits Russian tanker in Mediterranean Sea for first time”
The stolen cars from the night. Pics: Metropolitan Police
Police arrested four adult men in March and April on suspicion of murder, who were subsequently bailed.
The investigation so far has led officers to believe whoever killed Mahad set out to hurt someone else in a pre-planned, targeted attack.
Appealing to the public for information, Mahad’s youngest sister said: “To stay silent is to be complicit. To stay silent is to let a grieving mother suffer in confusion. To stay silent is to let a little boy grow up not knowing what happened to his father.”
Pic: Metropolitan Police
The reward, which is offered for information that leads to the identification, arrest and prosecution of those responsible, is available for three months and is due to expire on 20 March 2026.
Ferry passengers getting home for Christmas from Dover face delays of up to one hour after French border controls were hit by IT issues.
The border began experiencing technology issues before peak traffic arrival on Saturday morning.
Port of Dover Travel said in a post on X, at 9.21am, that there were still ongoing issues which were resulting in delays. It later confirmed delays were still ongoing at 12.02pm.
The organisation, which has not since issued an update, also urged passengers not to arrive more than two hours before their ferry leaves.
The Port of Dover estimates nearly 30,000 cars will board for outward journeys during the festive period, with traffic peaking between 6am and 1pm from Friday to Sunday.
It is forecast to be the busiest Christmas period on record for Dover crossings. Pic: Getty
It is also forecast to be the busiest year on record for the Christmas getaway in the UK.
P&O Ferries, which operates some of the ships from the port, said there are large queues on the approach roads and in the buffer area.
But once through passengers will face a smooth journey with no check-in delays, it added.
Read more:
Indian high-speed train hits and kills seven elephants
London’s roads ranked most congested in Europe
The Port of Dover added in the post: “We also ask that all port-bound traffic remain on the main roads to the port, the A20 and A2, and keep the local roads clear for the community.
“If customers do miss their scheduled sailing due to the wait times, their ferry operator will place them on the next available crossing.”
Simon Jones, an AA expert patrol, said: “It’s beginning to look a lot like traffic. Our advice is simple: plan ahead, check your route and allow extra time. Patience will be your best present this year.”
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment3 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024