THE SNP's Westminster leader has said the latest Labour U-turn will have “real and damaging consequences” for Scotland's green energy growth.
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday morning that the £28 billion investment in green energy previously aimed for by Labour would be a target to work towards rather than the amount initially allocated for the plan in the first year of government, as previously pledged.
It follows a series of Labour Party U-turns on Brexit, tuition fees, nationalisation, progressive taxation, electoral reform, devolution and Scotland's right to choose its own future.
Responding to Labour's newest U-turn, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn MP said the about-turn would hamper Scotland's efforts to encourage green economic growth and attempts to tackle the cost of living crisis.
Flynn said: "This is the latest in a long line of broken promises from the pro-Brexit Labour Party - and one that could have very real and damaging consequences for Scotland's green energy potential.
"The Tories have trashed the UK economy with Brexit, cuts and their failure to properly invest in renewable energy - but rather than change, the Labour Party is offering more of the same.
"The best way to secure economic growth is to properly invest in the renewables gold rush and rejoin the EU - the Labour Party has now turned its back on both and it will be ordinary families who pay the price as the UK economy falls behind and the cost of living soars.”
Asked why Labour previously planned for £28bn, Reeves said: “The truth is I didn’t foresee what the Conservatives would do to our economy – maybe that was foolish of me.
“Economic stability, financial stability, always has to come first and it will do with Labour. That’s why it’s important to ramp up and phase up our plans to get to the investment we need to secure these jobs so that it is also consistent with those fiscal rules to get debt down as a share of GDP and to balance day-to-day spending.”
But Flynn said his party would “turbocharge” economic growth.
"The SNP is the only party offering a real alternative with independence. It's essential that Scotland becomes an independent country so we can properly invest in renewables, bring down energy bills, and turbocharge economic growth by rejoining the EU.
"At the election next year, voting SNP is the only way to get rid of unelected Tory governments for good and deliver real change with independence."
Plaid Cymru’s Westminster Leader Liz Saville-Roberts also reacted to the rollback of the pledge.
She tweeted: “Labour are delaying their green investment pledge under the guise of ‘responsibility’.
“There's no responsibility in delaying climate action Starmer's Labour must rise above pleasing the right-wing press and embrace bold policies. Our future demands it.”
