Labour accused of ‘watering down’ £28bn green investment pledge

Energy Secretary Neil Gray has accused Labour of “watering down” a pledge to invest £28 billion a year in green energy projects around the UK.

However Scottish Labour accused him of “deflecting” from his Government’s failings on the green economy.

On Wednesday, MSPs debated green investment at Holyrood.

Under its “green prosperity plan”, Labour had promised in 2021 to invest £28 billion a year until 2030 in green projects if it came to power.

Labour figures now say the party will aim to meet this target by the end of its first term in power if it wins the upcoming general election.

During the debate at Holyrood, Mr Gray also criticised the Conservative UK Government’s record on green capital investment.

He said this is “unlikely to change” if Sir Keir Starmer is in Downing Street rather than Rishi Sunak.

The SNP minister said: “Labour once pledged that they would invest an additional £28 billion a year. It was to be their bold response to the US inflation reduction Act.

“But barely a week goes by that that pledge isn’t watered down.

“First the target is delayed, then they quietly drop the word additional, now it isn’t a commitment it’s merely an aspiration – one that’s unlikely to make it to polling day.”

He said the next UK government needs to take “bolder, braver” action on climate change.

Sarah Boyack spoke in the debate for Scottish Labour, saying Mr Gray’s own Government is not using all the available tools to generate green investment.

She said SNP ministers have failed to deliver on promised reductions in carbon emissions or a state-run energy company, as well as delaying its green industrial strategy.

Ms Boyack said: “We urgently need change, and that’s where Labour’s green prosperity plan would deliver the change Scotland and the UK need.

“To be honest, I think a lot of the comments from (Mr Gray) are about deflection from SNP failures.”

Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Douglas Lumsden said the recent Scottish draft Budget is “anti-growth” and he accused the SNP of “turning their backs on the north east”.

He urged the Government against “demonising” the oil and gas sector, saying it should instead “work with them to move towards a greener future”.