Starmer has a strong green record – but a rightwing backlash weakened his plans

Keir Starmer's Labour government is navigating uncharted territory as opposition parties have made dismantling its energy and climate agenda a top priority, second only to immigration. This marks a stark departure from previous British politics, where a consensus on climate and environmental issues had largely held since the Thatcher era.

Historically, leaders from Margaret Thatcher to Rishi Sunak have acknowledged the climate crisis, with governments enshrining net zero targets into law and championing international climate summits. However, the current political landscape sees parties like Kemi Badenoch's Conservatives actively seeking to boost fossil fuel extraction and repeal climate legislation, while Nigel Farage's Reform party openly denies climate science and threatens withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

“

Starmer made the bold move to set a whole of government mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower. This was visionary.

This fracturing of consensus has created disarray within Labour, with some insiders reportedly questioning Starmer's pledge to decarbonize the UK's electricity by 2030. Concerns were raised that this ambitious goal could alienate voters, leading to a significant reduction in the planned investment for the green economy from £28 billion.

However, experts argue this strategy is misguided. Polls indicate continued public support for climate action, with a majority of voters wanting the UK to meet its net zero targets and take control of its energy through renewables. Ed Matthew of the E3G thinktank noted that Starmer's initial vision of making the UK a "clean energy superpower" was visionary, but internal advice, possibly from former advisor Morgan McSweeney, focused on potential voter defection to Reform, misreading the electorate's priorities.

“

That was a misreading of these voters, with polls showing the majority want to take back control of their energy and support more renewables.