Sadiq Khan calls on Reeves to bring ‘authentic’ Labour budget that boosts green investment

14 hours ago7 min read

In a striking intervention that lays bare the simmering tensions within Britain's new Labour government, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has publicly challenged Chancellor Rachel Reeves to deliver what he termed an 'authentic' Labour budget, one that unequivocally prioritizes substantial green investment. Speaking from Rio de Janeiro on the eve of a global summit of mayors, Khan did not mince words, suggesting the Starmer administration has thus far displayed a troubling lack of confidence in its own solutions to the nation's profound challenges.His critique, echoing the kind of internal party friction that has historically plagued governments of all stripes, from the Attlee administration's struggles to the Blair-Brown tensions, centers on the Treasury's perceived reluctance to fully back Energy Secretary Ed Miliband's ambitious pursuit of the legally binding 2035 target—an 81% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Khan’s call is more than a simple policy request; it is a philosophical demand for the government to stay true to its core beliefs and face down the powerful, well-funded lobbyists and political opponents who disingenuously frame the net-zero transition as a driver of the cost-of-living crisis, a false dichotomy that ignores the long-term economic catastrophe of inaction.The mayor’s position finds strong support in a chorus of economists and industry leaders who argue that strategic public investment in renewable infrastructure, home insulation, and a modernized national grid is not an expense but a down payment on future-proofing the UK economy, creating hundreds of thousands of skilled jobs, and ensuring energy sovereignty in an increasingly volatile world. This is not merely an environmental issue but a fundamental test of the government's economic and political courage.The Chancellor now stands at a crossroads reminiscent of pivotal budget moments in history, where the choice between short-term political comfort and long-term national interest defined a premiership. Will Reeves use her first major fiscal event to unleash a wave of public and private capital towards a green industrial strategy, or will she succumb to the siren song of fiscal conservatism that risks leaving the UK lagging behind the United States with its Inflation Reduction Act and the European Union with its Green Deal? The world is watching, and the stakes for Britain's economic future and its global standing on climate leadership could not be higher.

#featured

#Sadiq Khan

#Rachel Reeves

#Labour budget

#green investment

#net zero

#climate policy

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