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

Keir Starmer’s government has shown a lack of confidence in tackling the country’s problems, the Mayor of London has said, as he called on the Chancellor to support green investment in this month’s Budget.

Speaking on the eve of a summit of world mayors in Rio de Janeiro, Sadiq Khan said the Treasury should give more support to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband in his pursuit of the Government’s target of an 81% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.

The public would reward the Government for taking on those who claim net zero emissions policies raise the cost of living, the Mayor of London has said, saying ministers should stand by their beliefs.

“I don’t understand how we lost the art and the ability to explain to people what we do,” he added.

Khan, who co-chairs the C40 Global Mayors Summit with Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, said: “[The public] can smell someone who is not authentic. And I think you should be authentic. People respect someone if you are authentic.

“There are people who voted for me in the last local election who may not agree with Ulez, but they respect the fact that I have good intentions, but I also explained to them why we are creating the ultra-low emissions zone, the fact that in London we have thousands of premature deaths.

“We have children with forever stunted lungs, adults with a whole host of health problems, from asthma to cancer to heart disease to dementia. And we showed that this policy worked, and so people who were initially offside then became onside.

“It’s not about outdoing the reformers or becoming greener than the Greens. It’s about understanding what our North Star is and then taking action and being, you know, true to who we are.”

Khan, who won a historic third term as mayor last May, said Starmer’s government was never going to turn the country around after just 15 months in power, but he suggested there was a lack of clarity about its aim.

“I’ve said it privately, I’ll say it publicly: we don’t seem to have the confidence to show the public that we have the solution to the challenges they’re facing,” he said. “And when people say ‘non-Reformation,’ that’s code for sounding like we’re something we’re not really and people can sense that.”

Khan said the Treasury machine could be “behind the times” and the cabinet needed to speak with one voice on the green agenda.

He said: “It can’t just be the Ed Miliband show. I think the whole of government is going to be behind this to make our country a leader in tackling this problem.

“I think the Treasury should understand why this is important. Do you know why? In fact, we can get good growth by tackling the climate emergency.

“We can get good jobs through this. And that’s why I think the Prime Minister will come [the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil] This sends a message not only to the rest of the cabinet, but also to the private sector, to everyone around the world: we take this seriously and do not underestimate the global role we can play.

Khan has lobbied for investment to fund major Transport for London projects, including the Docklands Light Railway extension to Thamesmead.

Asked whether Rachel Reeves, who will present her Budget later this month, needed to do more to support Miliband, he said: “Well, I think it’s a whole-of-government effort.

“I think what we’re going to see in the next budget is support for green jobs. Now people are asking: what is a green job? A green job is someone who, yes, is a great plumber, but also has the skills to install heat pumps. A green job is someone who is a great electrician, but who can also support carbon neutrality.

“A green job is someone who knows how to install triple insulating glazing, contribute to the manufacture of electric buses. These are jobs that must be supported.

“How? We have a big problem with the welfare bill. Why not use the crisis caused by climate change to train people for these green jobs in London?”

“In London, that’s the case, by the way; we have schools, training camps, construction academies, etc. But let’s do it with one hand tied behind our back because there isn’t enough investment in this area.”

Khan said he hoped Starmer’s appearance with Miliband at the Cop30 summit would be a turning point.

He said: “I hope this leads us to have more confidence in addressing this issue. It would basically mean we think President Trump is wrong.

“We think his speech to the United Nations was a disgrace, not just because he attacked me and London – because he called the climate emergency a scam, he said coal is a wonderful thing. We shouldn’t be afraid to call it out, it’s simply not true. And it’s the opposite of the evidence that science provides.”

Asked if Starmer had been too flattering to Donald Trump, who recently made a historic second state visit to the UK, Khan said the closest allies were frank with each other.

“It is not for me to say whether the [Canadian prime minister] The Mark Carney school of governance or the Keir Starmer school of governance is the right one,” Khan said, referring to the Canadian government’s optimistic approach to the White House.

“I can understand why it is in the UK’s national interest to have a good relationship with the US in terms of how we deal with Putin, in terms of tariffs, in terms of the Middle East, but I think there are times when you have a special relationship – and I liken a special relationship to a best friend – you have to be honest and frank.

“Expectations should be higher from a best friend than from an ordinary acquaintance. And I think people need to decide for themselves whether the Carney or Starmer approach is better. I know my point of view… the Sadiq Khan is better.”