Ed Miliband’s growth U-turn

Another day, another Labour U-turn. Now it’s Ed Miliband in the spotlight, after the Energy Secretary appeared to row back on his Heathrow runway stance this morning. Speaking on the Beeb’s Radio 4 Today programme, Miliband has now insisted that the new development would not come at the expense of his precious net zero targets – despite failing to show his support in person for Rachel Reeves’ growth plans last week. How curious.

The eco-zealot was first grilled on London mayor Sadiq Khan’s opposition to the plans. Rather than back his environment conscious colleague, Miliband was adamant that ‘what I am saying is that I am part of a government that has a collectively agreed position on this and I believe this can be done, aviation expansion can be done consistent with our carbon budgets’. It’s quite the turnaround…

It appears that Miliband has now come around to the aspects of Labour’s growth agenda that bothered him so much last week.