JEREMY Corbyn will today denounce “greed-is-good capitalism” as he sets out plans for a radical reshaping of the UK economy, including a “green jobs revolution” to create 400,000 skilled posts.
In his speech to Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool, Mr Corbyn will accuse “the political and corporate Establishment” of propping up the financial system which caused misery to millions following the crash of 2008.
And he will say that Labour is ready to deliver “the radical plan we need to rebuild and transform Britain”, telling delegates: “The old way of running things isn’t working any more.”
Mr Corbyn will say Britain needs a government “committed to investing in renewables, in jobs and in training”, and will promise large-scale public and private investment in wind and solar power, as well as subsidies to make all homes energy-efficient.
The insulation programme alone would create 160,000 jobs alone spread across the UK.
Changes to planning guidance will aim to encourage private investment to double onshore wind power over 12 years, while offshore wind will be increased sevenfold and solar power threefold.
“Scotland would clearly benefit extensively from this level of investment in terms of jobs and living standards, and it is something that would be very welcome in Scotland,” stressed the Labour leader’s spokesman.
Mr Corbyn’s speech comes at the end of a four-day conference which has been dominated by Brexit but has seen the Labour leader and shadow chancellor John McDonnell set out a range of policies to reverse inequalities in wealth and economic power.
These have ranged from workers in the boardroom to employee shareholding funds and new taxes on second homes south of the Border.
Mr Corbyn will say: “Ten years ago this month, the whole edifice of greed-is-good, deregulated financial capitalism, lauded for a generation as the only way to run a modern economy, came crashing to earth, with devastating consequences.
“But instead of making essential changes to a broken economic system, the political and corporate Establishment strained every sinew to bail out and prop up the system that led to the crash in the first place. People in this country know – they showed that in June last year – that the old way of running things isn’t working any more.
“That’s why Labour is offering a radical plan to rebuild and transform Britain.”
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Mr Corbyn’s comments risk being seen as an attack on former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who led the global response to the financial crash in 2008 with massive intervention to shore up the banks.
Mr Brown warned earlier this month that the world risks “sleepwalking” into a new financial crisis because it has failed to address the causes of the previous crash. The former prime minister also said the world was moving into a decade of vulnerability and said tougher action was needed to prevent wrongdoing by bankers.
Aides insisted that the current Labour leader regarded the ex-PM’s decision to take action to avert a collapse in the financial system as “absolutely correct”.
But his spokesman suggested the costs of the bail-out “were significantly higher than they needed be in the nationalisation of RBS and the stake in Lloyds”, adding: “And then, of course, the huge sums that were committed through quantitative easing and other forms of financial guarantees were done in ways which in practice have favoured asset owners and the wealthy in society and, of course, the austerity programme has been at the expense of the poorest and the large majority of the population.”
Setting out his plans to invest substantially in green jobs, Mr Corbyn will say: “There is no bigger threat facing humanity than climate change.
“We must lead by example.”
Labour’s plans outline a range of measures aimed at boosting energy efficiency, among them proposals which would see £12.8 billion invested in an insulation programme over five years. There would also be means-tested subsidies for low-income owner-occupiers and social housing, as well as zero interest loans for home-owners and landlords who are able to pay.
Universal energy efficiency measures – including retrofitting of old properties – would reduce heat demand from buildings by a quarter.
Mr Corbyn will explain: “There is no bigger threat facing humanity than climate change. We must lead by example.“Our energy plans would make Britain the only developed country outside Scandinavia to be on track to meet our climate change obligations.
“That means working with unions representing the workforce to ensure jobs and skills are protected as we move to a low-carbon economy.”
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