King’s Speech: ‘Anti-green policies are Labour’s opportunity, not a trap’

In September, King Charles addressed the French Senate and used this historic occasion to reiterate his long-standing environmental credentials. In his speech he called for a global cooperative approach to climate change: “Just as we stand together against military aggression, so must we strive together to protect the world from our most existential challenge of all – that of global warming, climate change and the catastrophic destruction of nature”.

Just weeks later, King Charles found himself giving another speech with a very different tone. In today’s King’s Speech, Rishi Sunak made him announce that the UK will be now be offering yearly oil and gas licensing rounds to exploit as much of the North Sea’s fossil fuel as possible, in a continuation of the government’s rowing back of climate commitments.

The government wants to reframe the climate debate before the election campaign kicks off

The prominence of this measure, being the first bill announced in the speech, should not be lost as it shows that the re-framing of the climate agenda will be front and centre of the government’s electoral campaign. While this was undoubtedly a very uncomfortable moment personally for the King, and a real test of his poker face, the important question is how to Labour respond to it?

The rowing back on Net Zero policy is not only an attempt to appeal to the Tory base, but also to lay a political trap for Labour. The government are looking to set out clear dividing lines between themselves and Labour to take to the electorate next year. The Conservatives want to frame it as a choice between a “pragmatic, proportionate, and realistic approach” versus Labour’s inflation riddled £28bn spending spree.

Sunak is trying to present himself as the pragmatic climate actor, but he risks being painted as an anti-climate leader instead. Some of the biggest cheerleaders for his new positioning are anti-Net Zero campaigners and mainstream media outlets are already calling the move anti-green.

An unpopular anti-green stance, not a populist one

Rather unhelpfully for Sunak, he has also won the approval of Donald Trump who said “I always knew Sunak was smart that he wasn’t going to destroy and bankrupt his nation for fake climate alarmists that don’t have a clue”. He might want to say he’s being pragmatic, but so far what’s cutting through is him being anti-green – and that is not popular with voters.

The announcements from the King’s Speech will have only reinforced this position amongst the media and electorate. This positioning is hugely risky for the Conservatives, but an incredible chance for Labour to position themselves as the party of climate action.

Climate action is popular with voters, and this has only increased following months of fires, floods, heatwaves, droughts, and death. It is consistently becoming one of the most important issues for voters in polling data and that is not going to change as the impacts of climate change become more prominent and begin to feel closer to home.

Sunak is trashing his own government’s record for nothing

On top of that, after 13 years with little to show for it, the climate is one area where the Conservatives undeniably have a positive story to tell and a record to be proud of – they can legitimately claim to be one of the greenest governments we have ever seen. But Sunak, in a desperate attempt to reverse his ailing polling numbers, is willing to tarnish this legacy beyond repair.

If the Conservatives are going to abandon the mantle and willingly vacating this space, Labour have to say thanks very much and step right into the gap they’ve left. The plan to turn the UK into a green energy superpower, bringing thousands of new jobs, cheaper energy, and protecting the planet is a positive story to tell, and one that will resonate well with the electorate.

Labour do need to be careful with the framing of the offer – anything perceived as a climate tax would be unpopular – but they should embrace this opportunity and take on the mantle of climate action.

In an Uxbridge-fuelled euphoria, the Conservatives have mistakenly concluded that rowing back on Net Zero can be an electoral asset to them. Strategists in the party think they are setting a clever trap for Labour, but they are wrong. They are providing them with an opportunity.