Greens' undeliverable' promises will let voters down, says Labour minister

"The Green party is offering simple solutions to complex problems and making undeliverable promises to voters ahead of the next election that could leave them disappointed, the prime minister's chief secretary has said. Darren Jones, one of Keir Starmer's most powerful ministers, said the resurgent Greens were a bit like the populist left version of the populist right of Reform UK, and that both were in danger of letting down voters."

"Let's be honest, a few years ago, there was a global consensus around net zero. There's not now. So it's contested space, but Britain continues to lean into that debate. He said that Labour had to prove to people that it was a modern party facing the future, delivering for modern Britain to win back progressive voters, a shift in its previous strategy of pitching to the right to prevent them going to Reform."

Labour has fallen to record lows in polls, losing support to progressive rivals and Reform; a YouGov poll put Labour just four points ahead of the Greens, with the Greens at 16%, up from 6.7% at the last election. The government is divided over how loudly to champion its green agenda amid concerns about rising energy bills and unified right-wing opposition to net zero targets. Labour continues to fund renewables and insulation while navigating a contested global consensus on net zero. Labour must present itself as a modern, future-facing party to win back younger and progressive voters; populist alternatives risk failing to deliver.

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