Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden has struggled to defend Labour's U-turn on green pledges, as GB News host Camilla Tominey questioned if Keir Starmer is "incompetent".
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has axed £28billion from its green plan in a significant U-turn, claiming that the state of the economy "desperately needed" the change in decision.
The party had previously committed to spend £28billion a year on green projects by 2029 and to insulate 19 million homes across the country over the next ten years.
Under the new plan, costing £23.7billion over five years, five million homes will be insulated in the first five years of a Labour Government.
Camilla Tominey grilled Labour's Pat McFadden on the party's green u-turn
GB News
Starmer said of the U-turn: "There will be no new further investment on top of the green prosperity fund. The £28billion is stood down so we can focus on the outcomes.
"When we announced the £28billion two and a half years ago interest rates were very low - since then Liz Truss has crashed the economy." Starmer added that it was "ridiculous" to suggest that he had 'flip-flopped' on the policy.
Appearing on The Camilla Tominey Show, MP for Wolverhampton South-East Pat McFadden was grilled on Labour's decision, and asked if Starmer has shown his "indecisiveness".
Camilla pressed McFadden on Labour's "own goal" and suggested Keir Starmer "does not have a plan" and is simply "flip-flopping".
Keir Starmer has cut nearly £30billion from the party's green prosperity plan
PA
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McFadden said: "Well, we announced this plan two and a half years ago at a time when interest rates were only basically zero.
"They're now 5.25 per cent, and any of your viewers who had to remortgage in the last year or so will know that that makes a huge difference to the cost of borrowing. And for the country, it means that the cost of borrowing is now £70billion a year higher than when the plan was first announced."
Camilla hit back at McFadden, stating: "But he's flip-flopped on so much, hasn't he? We've got flip-flopping on nationalising utilities, outsourcing in the NHS, flip-flopping on the support of trade unions, free movement and abolishing Universal Credit.
"Supporting Jeremy Corbyn, not supporting Jeremy Corbyn, abolishing tuition fees, universal childcare, rent controls, the US expansion. There's too many to mention. So the only conclusion that GB News viewers and listeners can draw is that he simply doesn't have a plan, or at least not one he can stick to?"
Camilla Tominey says Keir Starmer 'doesn't have a plan'
GB News
McFadden responded: "I think you're reading out the Tory talking points there. Even after the change that we announced a few days ago, we're still going to have GB Energy, a publicly-owned energy firm that will help drive the transition to clean power.
"We're still going to have a national wealth fund to invest in things like making sure the country's got a steel industry in the future. We're going to have investment in our ports. We're going to have a plan to insulate more homes. We're going to have local power plants.
"There's still a lot in this plan that will create jobs, give us more energy security and be a good plan for the country."
