Keir Starmer speech disrupted by young people demanding climate action: ‘Which side are Labour on?’

Labour leader was speaking at a college in Kent

Angry students disrupted a speech by Keir Starmer at a college on Thursday – to demand Labour commit to more action to tackle climate change.

Two protesters, part of a group who had been positioned behind Sir Keir as a backdrop for the event, sprang to life mid way through his address to students and staff at Mid Kent College.

They said they were angry at Labour’s decision to water down a commitment to spend £28 billion a year on a Green New Deal.

Holding a banner calling for climate action, one of the protesters shouted: "Stop making U-turns Keir, we need a Green New Deal right now, and you keep making U-turns!”

An irritated Sir Keir, who was speaking about skills reform, told the protesters: "Will you just let me please get on with this”, adding: "There's lots of people who want to hear this, please don't drown them out”.

When one of the protesters asked "Which side are the Labour Party on?" Sir Keir replied: "We're on the side of economic growth".

As security escorted the two young people from the room, Sir Keir told the audience: “I think they may have missed the case that the last mission I launched was on clean power by 2030 which is the single most effective way to get the green future that they and many others want".

Last month shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said the party’s green investment plans would have to be phased in gradually, adding: “economic stability, financial stability, always has to come first”.

In 2021 she said the £28 billion a year investment would be funded by borrowing and start from the first year of a Labour government.