LABOUR is set to carry out a screeching U-turn on their vow to turn Britain carbon neutral by 2030 after warnings it would mean scrapping cars and rationing meat.
Labour trade boss Barry Gardiner yesterday heavily hinted they are dumping the pledge and only committed to slashing emissions to net zero “well before 2050”.
The reverse comes after the GMB union – one of Labour’s biggest backers -warned it would mean an end to foreign holidays and confiscated cars.
But eco activists were furious at the move and have started a hunger strike outside Labour’s head office in Victoria.
Quizzed on the party’s 2030 pledge, Mr Gardiner refused to say they will stick to it.
He told the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: “The target we have already committed to is making sure we have a net zero economy well before 2050.”
He added: “What we will be doing is have our power sector 90 per cent powered by renewables by 2030.
“That’s in line with achieving the overall targets we have set is making sure that well before 2050 we have achieved the net zero which we need to do.”
Labour’s business boss Rebecca Long-Bailey said the party’s manifesto, launched on Thursday, will “set out a pathway towards net zero by 2030”.
But she stopped well short of saying the target will be met.
Meanwhile, Labour peer Lord Blunkett – the former home secretary – blasted his party’s “crazy” position on immigration.
Labour activists have voted to “maintain and extend” free movement, but union bosses have demanded immigration control.
Lord Blunkett told BBC Radio 5 Live: “You’ve got to be very careful that you don’t face two ways. People have got to be absolutely clear as to what Labour’s policy is.
“And as far as I can see from what the leadership have been saying, they understand that that conference vote was crazy.”
He also warned Labour’s plan to nationalise broadband would come “at a price” and blasted as “nonsense” the notion “you can have socialism in one country”.
