In April 2019 Keir Starmer gave his support to Camden Council’s Clean Air Action Plan, which included proposals to limit construction and to force residents into a “modal shift away from private vehicles towards walking, cycling and public transport.” He went further and gave his endorsement to Extinction Rebellion’s tactics:
“Climate change is the issue of our time and, as the Extinction Rebellion protest showed us this week, the next generation are not going to forgive us if we don’t take action. It’s been lots of talk, now we need action and the plan today is about what action we’re going to take here uh in Camden.“
Camden Council has since gone on to propose its own expansive ULEZ which would be charged on top of Khan’s one, as well as limiting families to one car only. Does Starmer support that too?
Extinction Rebellion tactics have racked up Metropolitan Police bills of almost £100 million. The Met is clear that eco-terrorist tactics lead to “hundreds of officers being taken away from local teams” to deal with them. Meanwhile, Starmer’s Shadow Transport Secretary said that Extinction Rebellion has a duty to protest. The loons will have more than one ally in a Labour Cabinet…
Asked about briefings that Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham were plotting to replace him, Starmer said:
“My message would be very much that every minute that we are not talking about the cost of living, and straining every sinew to ensure that those that need our help in relation to the cost of living and feeling better off, and having a better health service, and feeling safer and more secure in their community, is a minute wasted.”