Labour is facing criticism after it ditched its pledge to spend £28 billion a year on green projects, as senior party figures sought to defend the U-turn.
Sir Keir Starmer announced on Thursday that the figure would be drastically scaled back to £23.7 billion over the course of the next parliament if his party wins the next election.
The spending pledge was first made in September 2021 and Labour has blamed Tory stewardship of the economy and higher interest rates since then for the reversal.
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves blamed the Conservatives’ mishandling of the economy, citing Liz Truss’ mini-budget fiasco, as she warned Labour would face a “bleak inheritance” if it wins power at the next general election.
Environmental groups, trade union allies and energy industry figures have all expressed disappointment at the move – while the Tories have continued to attack Labour’s fiscal credibility.
Those attacks continued in the wake of the announcement, with Mr Sunak mocked the Labour U-turn during a visit to the South West.
The Prime Minister told broadcasters: “I think what Labour announced yesterday just demonstrates what we’ve been saying – they absolutely don’t have a plan.”