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Labour has finally confirmed it is ditching a flagship pledge to spend £28bn-a-year on green investments if it wins the next general election.

The party says it will now spend just £23.7bn on environmental schemes over the course of its first term in office – equivalent to just under £5bn a year.

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However, Labour insists its commitment to becoming a clean superpower by 2030 remains unchanged and the reduced funding will still meet existing promises made under the original green prosperity plan.

These include:

• The launch of Great British Energy – a publicly-owned green energy company

• A National Wealth Fund to invest in British industries such as electric vehicle production

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• A warm homes plan to insulate millions of homes over a decade

• A British Jobs Bonus to provide capital grants to incentivise companies developing clean technologies to invest in regional areas

• Reforming the planning system to accelerate energy projects like onshore windfarms

• Making the UK the green finance capital of the world with mandatory 1.5C-aligned transition plans for major companies and financial institutions.

It is understood that when the party had announced the £28bn figure in the autumn of 2021, it had not come up with ways to spend that sum.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that while existing commitments will still be met, “what won’t now happen is that we won’t make further or new investment decisions. And that means that we won’t reach the £28bn envisaged”.

He said the figure was being “stood down” because of the “damage” the Tories had done to the economy – citing the Liz Truss mini-budget and government plans to “max out the credit card” – effectively use up all fiscal headroom ahead of the next election.

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“I have to anticipate the circumstances as they are now, not as I’d wish them to be,” he told broadcasters as he outlined his decision.

While existing commitments are being kept, the party’s Warm Homes Plan is set to be a casualty of the climbdown.

This was going to cost £6bn a year but will now cost £6.6bn over five years and will “unfortunately have to be carried out a little bit more slowly”, Sir Keir said.

While the aim is still to upgrade all homes below an EPC rating of C by 2035, the new timetable will see just five million properties insulated in the first five years of a Labour government.

The move has angered green campaigners, but Sir Keir insisted: “There is nothing we have said we will do that we are now saying we won’t do.

“I don’t want to have a row about the size of a cheque. I want to have a row about the outcomes.”

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Reeves refuses to commit to green pledge

U-turn follows months of speculation

The spending U-turn comes after months of speculation about the policy – which aims to kickstart the UK’s transition to a low-carbon economy, meet climate targets and reduce energy bills.

The new plan will be funded half by borrowing, and half by re-purposing and extending the government’s windfall tax on the profits of oil and gas giants.

This currently stands at 75%, but Labour says it will raise it to 78%, the same rate as Norway, while closing what it calls a “loophole” that gives companies tax breaks if they invest in Britain.

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Previously, the party had pledged to borrow the whole sum to fund the investments, but this has repeatedly been used by the Conservatives to attack Labour’s fiscal credibility in the run up to the election.

The departure from the £28bn pledge is still expected to be met with ridicule by the Tories, who have seized on what they describe as Sir Keir’s “flip-flopping” on major policies as a key attack line.

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the Labour leader “doesn’t have a plan for Britain”.

He posted on X: “His pledge has a £28bn price tag and now he’s admitted there’s no plan to pay for it, which means going back to square one with higher taxes for working people.”

Sir Keir ‘caving like a house of cards in the wind’

Climate campaigners have also attacked the move, with Greenpeace UK’s co-executive director Areeba Hami accusing Sir Keir of having “caved like a house of cards in the wind”.

“Climate action, including borrowing to invest in warmer homes, remains hugely popular among voters. It would be ironic indeed if Labour’s attempt to make their manifesto ‘bombproof’ from Tory attack ended up just bombing on the doorstep instead,” she said.

Labour had already watered down the original plan by saying last year that the spending target would likely be met in the second half of a first parliament, rather than immediately, if the party wins the next election.

The party has since insisted the pledge is subject to its fiscal rules, which include getting debt falling as a percentage of GDP.

Confusion over the future of the policy has grown in recent weeks as some senior figures, including shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, refused to refer to the £28bn-a-year figure, while party leader Sir Keir continued to do so as recently as Tuesday.

The pledge to spend £28bn-a-year on environmental schemes was first made during its party conference in 2021, with Ms Reeves promising to be “Britain’s first green chancellor” if the party wins the next election.

She stood by that promise as she defended the latest row-back, saying: “These policies will transform our economy in ways that are incredibly exciting and can boost growth and I am determined to do that.”

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Rayner ‘hoping’ for winter fuel update within weeks – and says she ‘never’ wants to be Labour leader

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Rayner 'hoping' for winter fuel update within weeks - and says she 'never' wants to be Labour leader

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has told Sky News she “hopes” there will be an update on the winter fuel U-turn within weeks.

Ms Rayner also used her interview on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips to say she “never” wants to lead her party.

Some had suggested recent leaks of her plans for when taxes should change were her testing the waters to run a challenge against Sir Keir Starmer.

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Earlier this week, the prime minister confirmed his party was looking to make changes to its controversial slashing of winter fuel payments to pensioners at an upcoming “fiscal event”.

Little clarity was provided on when this would be – the budget in the autumn thought the most likely.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner during a visit to Rossington Miners' Welfare in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, whilst campaigning for this week's local elections. Picture date: Wednesday April 30, 2025.
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Angela Rayner says she wants the changes announced soon. Pic: PA

Ms Rayner has now suggested the 11 June spending review in just over a fortnight is her preferred date.

She told Sky News: “I think that we’ve got the upcoming spending review, and I’m sure that the chancellor will set it out when we’ve got the opportunity – at the first opportunity Trevor she will set out what we’ll be able to do.”

Asked if changes might be announced at the review, Ms Rayner said: “I hope so, but I don’t know. But I hope so.

“I mean, the prime minister’s announced it, so logically to me that indicates that the prime minister wants to do something in this area.

“And if the prime minister wants to do that, I’m sure the chancellor is going to look at how we can achieve that.”

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Never wants to be leader

Some might suggest Ms Rayner’s stance was a bid to push Downing Street into an announcement faster than it previously wanted.

It would add to rumours the deputy prime minister is unhappy with the way Sir Keir and Rachel Reeves are running the government.

However, when asked by Trevor Phillips if she wanted to lead her party, Ms Rayner was unequivocal.

“No. I’m very happy and honoured to be deputy prime minister of this country,” she said.

“And I’ve got a lot in my in-tray to prove that I can do the job that I’m doing and deliver on the milestones for the people in this country.”

She continued: “I have no desire to go for the leadership of the Labour Party.”

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Asked to say the word “never”, Ms Rayner repeated “never”.

Ms Rayner also confirmed a leak inquiry was under way after her proposals on tax and spend sent to the chancellor ended up published in The Daily Telegraph.

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Two-child benefit cap: Pressure grows on Starmer as Reform’s policy move parks tanks on Labour’s lawn

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Two-child benefit cap: Pressure grows on Starmer as Reform's policy move parks tanks on Labour's lawn

No U-turn comes without a political cost.

This weekend, it has become clear there is a price to pay for Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to row back on winter fuel payment cuts.

One MP said in a text message: “We all want to see more”, while former prime minister Gordon Brown told Sky News this week the two-child benefit cap was “pretty discriminatory” and could be scrapped.

Nigel Farage
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Nigel Farage is expected to call for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped

The cap, which prevents parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for more than two children, is a symbolic sore for Labour that saw seven MPs suspended from the party last year.

Now it’s back to cause more trouble.

A Downing Street source suggests little has changed in the last week, and looking at the cap has always been part of the (now delayed) Child Poverty Strategy.

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‘You’ve got to be fair to pensioners’

But, beyond the whispers behind the scenes, one thing has overtly changed this weekend – growing pressure from Nigel Farage.

We expect Reform UK to announce this week that it will reinstate winter fuel payments and drop the cap.

Mr Farage is parking his tanks on Labour’s lawn, trying to tap into working-class votes on uncomfortable territory for Mr Starmer.

How would they pay for it? A combination of closing asylum hotels, cutting aid, and scrapping net-zero targets, the party says.

Kemi Badenoch on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips.
Image:
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch

Headline-grabbing move

The beauty of not being in power is not having to make all the sums add up right now, and it is a headline-grabbing announcement that will, at the very least, reignite the conversation about the two-child cap.

It’s also a reminder that Reform UK, who were beaten by Labour in 89 out of the 98 constituencies they came second in last year, have set their sights beyond the Conservatives.

As for the Tories, who introduced the measure in 2017, leader Kemi Badenoch is clear, saying: “If you can’t afford to have lots of children, then you shouldn’t do so”.

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Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is hoping for an update on the winter fuel allowance

Blue water between Tories and Reform UK

So, there is blue water between the Conservatives and Reform, but it’s the prime minister and his party that Nigel Farage is targeting now, and Labour is unclear on where it stands.

Deputy leader Angela Rayner told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that “lifting any measures that alleviate poverty is not a bad idea”.

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With the spending review fast approaching, Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves will be working out the actual cost, beyond the political one, of rowing back on winter fuel payment cuts.

But will the anger that the policy ignited among some Labour MPs end there? Or will it move to another uncomfortable subject?

As one MP puts it: “If there’s money for pensioners, why not children?”

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Pakistan allocates 2,000MW power for Bitcoin mining and AI centers

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Pakistan allocates 2,000MW power for Bitcoin mining and AI centers

Pakistan allocates 2,000MW power for Bitcoin mining and AI centers

Pakistan has allocated 2,000 megawatts of surplus electricity exclusively for Bitcoin mining and artificial intelligence centers.

The move is part of a broader digital transformation plan spearheaded by the Pakistan Crypto Council and backed by the Ministry of Finance, according to a May 25 report by local news outlet 24NewsHD TV Channel.

In the first phase, the government plans to channel excess power into AI infrastructure and crypto mining operations. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the decision is expected to attract billions in foreign investment while generating high-tech employment across the country.

The initiative’s second phase will introduce access to renewable energy for mining operations, aiming to balance growth with environmental responsibility.

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Pakistan unveils tax incentives to attract investors

Per the report, interest from international Bitcoin (BTC) miners and AI firms has already picked up. Officials confirmed that multiple foreign delegations have visited Pakistan in recent months to explore potential partnerships.

To further incentivize investment, the Ministry of Finance announced a package of tax incentives for AI centers and duty exemptions for Bitcoin miners.

Bilal Bin Saqib, CEO of Pakistan’s Crypto Council, reportedly welcomed the development, calling it a “turning point” for the country’s digital economy.

Saqib claimed that with clear regulations and a transparent framework, Pakistan could emerge as a significant player in the global crypto and AI sectors.

Saqib first proposed using the country’s runoff energy to fuel Bitcoin mining at the Crypto Council’s inaugural meeting on March 21.

The meeting included lawmakers, the Bank of Pakistan’s governor, the chairman of Pakistan’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SECP), and the federal information technology secretary.

Related: Pakistan proposes compliance-based crypto regulatory framework — Report

Pakistan creates Digital Asset Authority

On May 21, Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance endorsed the creation of a dedicated body to regulate blockchain-based financial infrastructure in the country.

The Pakistan Digital Assets Authority (PDAA) will serve as a regulatory body to oversee licensing and regulating exchanges, custodians, wallets, tokenized platforms, stablecoins, and decentralized finance applications.

The PDAA will also be tasked with tokenizing national assets and government debt, facilitating monetization of Pakistan’s surplus electricity through regulated Bitcoin mining, and helping startups build blockchain-based solutions at scale.

Pakistan ranked highly in Chainalysis’ 2024 crypto adoption index, coming in ninth, mainly due to strong retail adoption and transactions at centralized services.

Pakistan allocates 2,000MW power for Bitcoin mining and AI centers
Pakistan ranked highly in Chainalysis’ 2024 crypto adoption index, coming in 9th. Source: Chainalysis

Data from Statista also shows Pakistan’s crypto market is “experiencing rapid growth,” estimating the number of crypto users to amount to over 27 million by 2025, out of a population of 247 million.

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