He said Britain was not seeking to demonstrate climate leadership on the world stage. That, because of his weak position, the prime minister’s first priority will always be the baser instincts of the Conservative party. For the Tories, it’s always the party first. What is best for the country – and for the planet – comes a distant second. And he has shown that he simply does not understand what the path to reducing energy bills, creating millions of jobs and ensuring that Britain is never again at the mercy of tyrants like Vladimir Putin looks like. Sunak is the last person to attempt to rule an ungovernable party. He is unable to focus on the future of Britain because he is digging up the mess the Tories have made. Just this weekend, he used his first interview as prime minister to shrug his shoulders and say he can’t fix the problems we face. This tired, fatalistic, outdated approach is a recipe for more of the same. It has no chance of conceiving a fairer, greener future. It’s time for a new beginning. One that recognizes the crises we face are linked and will only be solved by a new approach. The devastation of UK energy bills has been compounded by Putin’s tragic invasion of Ukraine. But it was caused by 12 years of failure by Tory governments to wean Britain off its dependence on fossil fuels. At the same time, we have an accelerating climate crisis, demonstrated most recently by the devastating floods in Pakistan and Britain’s first 40 C days. The truth of our time is that the solution to both of these disasters is to adopt cheap, clean, domestic power as quickly as we can. We are lucky; Our island nation has abundant natural resources of wind, water and solar energy. It is an act of national self-harm not to prioritize them over more expensive gas. I wouldn’t be dragged to Cop27 as prime minister, I would lead the way. My first goal would be to convince world leaders that we need to get to clean energy as quickly as possible. That is why I have made a world-leading commitment for Britain to be the first major economy to reach 100% clean energy by 2030. The ambition of these plans is only matched by my determination to deliver them. Under my Labor government, the UK will become a clean energy superpower. We would also use our influence to build an alliance of clean power with those who share our desire for decisive action and to help vulnerable countries. We will ensure that funding pledges are delivered and push the biggest polluters to do more. We can see and feel the long-predicted reality of climate change, but we still have time to prevent the worst of the chaos Despite the doom and gloom that exists right now, the challenges of climate change and energy give us something else: hope. But only Labor recognizes the opportunities we have. Sunak’s track record shows why the Conservatives don’t get this. It took months to get him to create even a minimal tax windfall as chancellor. And when it did, it left a gaping hole for the fossil fuel giants. Despite impressive earnings last week, Shell did not pay any tax windfall. Even now, he still supports a ban on onshore wind in England. In the summer, he told Tory party members he wanted to block solar projects. His approach is bad for consumers and businesses. The continued ban on onshore wind alone will mean bills are £15 billion higher than they would otherwise be between now and 2030. The truth is that beneath the carefully crafted image, Sunak is just another old-fashioned Tory prime minister. It is a leader in fossil fuels in an era of renewable energy. His backwards approach is already depriving Britain of the best future we could have. In the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen two UK companies – one making EV batteries and the other green hydrogen electrolytes – struggling. There is a global race for the jobs of the future, but under the Tories we will not win it. Labour’s green prosperity plan will set up a national wealth fund and GB Energy, a public energy company, to invest in the technologies and jobs of the future. From green hydrogen to floating wind turbines, gigafactory to new nuclear, clean steel to tidal power – with a Labor government, new industries will grow. We are a unique generation in the history of the climate crisis. We can see and feel the long-predicted reality of change, but we still have time to prevent the worst of its chaos and seize the opportunities to deal with it. That alternative future – of lower bills and greater security, good jobs and a stronger economy, clean air and water and a thriving planet for our children to inherit – is in our hands. Make no mistake, the choice for that future is on the ballot at the next general election. The Tories cannot deliver. A Labor government will. Keir Starmer is the leader of the Labor Party
