The U-turn came as the Conservative Party published a cost analysis report during a press conference at its Millbank headquarters in London, examining how much Labour would need to spend in order to realise its policy pledges.
Labour officials quickly debunked many of the claims made in the “dodgy dossier” – which included implementing a food waste ban to landfill at an estimated cost of £477 million in the 2015/16 financial year.
The Conservatives estimated that the cost of the policy would be incurred as a result of a reduction in landfill tax revenues as well as small costs to Defra and to local authorities.
However, Labour claimed the assertion that it would follow through with the ban was based on an ‘out of date quote’ in January 2013 – made by then shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh.
Ms Creagh had been speaking at a conference held by the Foodservice Packaging Association, where she announced that the Labour Party was ‘looking seriously’ at including the ban among its policies in its election manifesto.
Policy
The policy was not mentioned among those listed in Labour’s review of waste policy in April 2013 (see letsrecycle.com story) but Ms Creagh reaffirmed the commitment during her speech to the Party Conference in September of the same year.
Labour has now shelved plans to issue a food waste ban to landfill, arguing that it was not agreed at the Party’s National Policy Forum last summer.
A statement published by Labour reads: “They say it’s Labour’s policy to ban food waste from landfill, based on an out of date 2013 quote. This is not Labour’s policy – it was not agreed at Labour’s National Policy Forum in July 2014 and is not in the NPF document.”
The announcement will come as a blow to some in the waste industry who would like to see a food waste landfill ban instated in England. Current waste minister Dan Rogerson also ruled out such a move soon after entering office in November 2013.
According to a report published by think-tank Green Alliance last year, a ban on food waste as well as wood, textiles, WEEE and plastics could lead to the creation of up to 47,500 jobs in the UK recycling and manufacturing sectors (see letsrecycle.com story).
GIB
Labour also went on to slam claims that it would spend £3.7 billion to grant borrowing powers to the Green Investment Bank (GIB) – a policy that it attributes to the Conservatives adopting themselves.
The statement adds: “In his 2011 Budget speech, George Osborne said that, “from 2015-16, and subject to our overall debt target being met, we will allow the Green Investment Bank to borrow and invest in a better future”.”
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