Keir Starmer's government has shown a lack of confidence it has the answers to the country's problems, the mayor says London said as he called on the Chancellor to support green investment in this month's Budget.
Speaking on the eve of the World Mayors' Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Sadiq Khan said the Treasury should do more to support Energy Secretary Ed Miliband as he pushes to meet the government's target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 81% by 2035.
The public will reward the government for fighting those who argue that net-zero emissions policies increase the cost of living, the mayor of London has said, arguing that cabinet ministers must stick to their guns.
“I cannot understand how we have lost the art and ability to explain to people what we do,” he added.
Khan, who co-chairs the C40 World Summit of Mayors with Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, said: “[The public] I smell the scent of someone inauthentic. And I think you have to be sincere. People respect someone if you are sincere.
“There are people who voted for me in the last mayoral election who may not agree with Ulez, but they respect the fact that my intentions are good, but I also explained to them why we are creating an ultra-low emission zone, the fact that we have thousands of premature deaths in London.
“We've forever had children with delayed lung development, adults with a range of health problems from asthma to cancer, heart disease and dementia. And we've shown that this policy works, and so people who were initially offside then moved into the game.”
“It's not about out-reform or greening the Greens. It's about figuring out what our North Star is and then delivering results and being, you know, true to who we are.”
Khan, who won a historic third term as mayor last May, said Starmer's government was never going to turn the country around after just 15 months in power, but he suggested there was a lack of clarity about its goals.
“I said it privately, I say it publicly: We don't seem to have the confidence that we can demonstrate to the public that we have a solution to the problems they face,” he said. “And when people say 'reform is beyond reform,' that's code for creating an impression of something we're not, and people sense that.”
Khan said the Treasury machine could be “lagging” and that the Cabinet needed to speak with one voice on the green agenda.
He said: “This can't just be an Ed Miliband show. I think the whole government will be behind this in terms of making our country a leader in terms of tackling this problem.”
“I think the Treasury needs to understand why this is important. Do you know why? In fact, we can achieve good growth by tackling the climate emergency.
“Because of this, we can get good jobs. And that's why I think the prime minister will come to [the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil] sends a signal not only to the rest of the Cabinet, but to the private sector, to everyone around the world, that we take this seriously and don't underestimate the global role we can play.”
Khan lobbied for investment to fund major Transport for London projects, including the proposed extension of the Docklands Light Rail to Thamesmead.
Asked whether Rachel Reeves, who will present her Budget later this month, needs to do more to support Miliband, he said: “Well, I think that's the government's whole job.
“I think we'll see support for green jobs in the next budget. Now people are thinking, what is a green job? A green job is someone who, yes, is an excellent plumber, but also has the skills to install heat pumps. A green job is someone who is an excellent electrician, but can also maintain zero emissions.
“A green job is someone who knows how to install triple glazing insulation, help make electric buses. These are jobs that should be supported.
“How? We have a big problem with the Social Security Bill. Why don't we use the climate change crisis to train people for these green jobs in London?”
“By the way, we are in London: we have schools, boot camps, construction academies, etc. But we do it with one hand tied behind our back because there is a lack of investment in this area.”
Khan said he hoped Starmer's appearance with Miliband at the Cop30 summit would be a turning point.
He said: “I hope that this will lead to us having more confidence in dealing with this problem. That, by the way, would mean that we think President Trump is wrong.”
“We think his speech at the United Nations was a disgrace, and not just because he attacked me and London – because he called the climate emergency a fraud, he said coal was a wonderful thing. We shouldn't be afraid to criticize him, it's just wrong. And it flies in the face of the evidence that science provides.”
Asked whether Starmer was ingratiating himself too much to Donald Trump, who recently made a historic second state visit to Britain, Khan said the closest allies had been candid with each other.
“It’s not for me to say whether [Canadian prime minister] The Mark Carney school of government or the Keir Starmer school of government is right,” Khan said, referring to the Canadian government's optimistic approach to the White House.
“I can understand why it is in Britain's national interest to have a good relationship with the United States in terms of how we deal with Putin, in terms of tariffs, in terms of the Middle East, but I think there are times when you have a special relationship – and I compare the special relationship with your best friend – you have to be honest and forthright.
“Expectations from the best partner should be higher than from the average acquaintance. And I think people have to decide for themselves whether Carney's or Starmer's approach is better. I know where I stand… Sadiq Khan is the best.”
