Starmer facing calls to ‘be clear’ on climate as new poll warns half of voters unsure of Labour’s plans

New campaign launched as Labour prepares to unveil its general election manifesto on Thursday

Keir Starmer is facing calls to be clearer on climate change as a new poll warns half of voters are unsure of Labour's plans.

The Survation figures also show that less than a third, 30 per cent, believe they know what the party would do in government.

Greenpeace, which commissioned the poll, has launched a new campaign ‘Keir be Clear’ ahead of Labour’s general election manifesto launch on Thursday.

The environmental group, which caused controversy last year when they draped 200 square metres of oil-black fabric over Rishi Sunak’s £2m manor house in Yorkshire, says Labour has the opportunity to win over voters who are hungry for change on the climate.

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Labour has pledged to create a new green energy company (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)

Labour watered down its environmental investment plans earlier this year when it ditched plans to invest £28 billion a year.

As a result, the party has radically scaled down plans to insulate millions of homes, saying the Conservatives were to blame for “crashing the economy”.

The party is now set to spend £23.7bn over the course of the next five-year parliament, on top of the £10bn a year it says the government has already committed.

Labour has also pledged to create clean energy company Great British Energy, which it says will bring down household bills and make the UK less reliant on countries like Russia.

The party has also vowed clamp down on water companies that harm the environment and pollute our rivers with “automatic and severe” fines and give a regulator new powers to block bonuses.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer at a campaign event in Grays, Essex while on the General Election campaign trail. (Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

The poll also found 71 per cent of Labour 2019 voters think Sir Keir should ramp up action on climate and nature in Downing Street, alongside 38 per cent of Tory voters.

Survation interviewed 2,040 people between 24th and 27th May 2024.

Georgia Whitaker, from Greenpeace UK, said Labour had a unique opportunity to put “ambitious climate and nature solutions at the heart of a positive and hopeful vision for this country’s future”. The government can cut bills by investing properly to fix cold homes, create jobs by boosting public transport and tax fossil fuel giants more, she saidd.

“And Starmer can reclaim Britain’s global leadership on climate and nature in the process.

“We desperately need a new government that puts the needs of ordinary people, climate and nature before the profits of a rich polluting elite.

“People up and down the country have had enough, they’re fed up with being ignored, and they’re calling for politicians who have a proper plan to repair the climate, restore nature and revive the economy. Keir Starmer should seize the chance to be clear on climate at this election to win over to the electorate.”

Labour has been contacted for comment.