Crumbs off the table

So it’s official, Starmer has dropped his £28billion green investment pledge—his biggest U-turn yet. Is there anything he can be trusted on? He caves in at every opportunity to Tory attacks, rather than rigorously defending his policies, such as they are. So it’s a Tory gain, and if they garner a few more U-turns they may well reduce their losses at the general election, although they still seem on course for defeat. The biggest loser of course is our bid to tackle climate change, once again demoted in the face of political expediency. This is the narrative that long predated the ULEZ affair, another case where Labour failed to defend its policy. What I wonder will Labour’s manifesto be called? ‘Crumbs Off The Table?’ Nobody now seems keen on identifying themselves with the case for sufficiently tackling the climate crisis—a reluctance it seems which is now enveloping the EU, as it faces a rightwing insurgence. The loudmouths in our midst will happily sink the ship, so long as they can monopolise the lifeboats, should there be any.