Rachel Reeves has told the Blob to stop saying ‘no’ to proposals that could boost growth.
The Chancellor said the Government had ‘become used’ to rejecting ideas, but must change and start saying ‘yes’.
Ahead of a major speech tomorrow, Ms Reeves told MPs last night that the only way to relieve working people of cost of living pressures is through economic growth.
But shortly before she spoke to MPs, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told a separate group that airport expansion projects should only get the green light if they fell within ‘carbon budgets’.
It comes after the Chancellor has made clear that she believes that her growth agenda should trump Mr Miliband’s green mission.
Speaking at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last night, she said: ‘Will that growth come easy? No. There are no easy routes out,’ she told. ‘There are always reasons for Government to say “no”.
‘Over the past six months as Chancellor, my experience is that Government has become used to saying “no”. That must change. We must start saying “yes”.
‘Yes to new jobs. Yes to higher living standards. Yes to investment. And yes to growth. And if we get this right – and I know we will – the prize on offer to us is immense.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves told MPs tonight that the only way to relieve working people of cost of living pressures is through economic growth
Ms Reeves’ comments come after she took aim at Britain’s planning laws on her drive for growth. Pictured: The developing skyline in Nine Elms, south London
‘Cranes in the sky. High streets revitalised. The next generation with more opportunities than the past.
‘The sounds and the sights of the future arriving. Wealth created, and wealth shared, in every part of Britain.’
Her comments come after she took aim at Britain’s planning laws – in particular the protections for bats and great-crested newts – on her drive for growth.
Ms Reeves also fired the head of the competition regulator, the CMA, saying he was not on board with Labour’s ‘mission’ to boost economic growth.
The Chancellor is expected to use her speech on Wednesday to endorse proposals for a third runway at Heathrow airport, as well as expansion at Gatwick and Luton airports.
Appearing before MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee, Mr Miliband last night was asked whether airport expansion was compatible with the UK’s climate change aims.
He said: ‘On aviation, the way I’ve always thought about this is, our goal is neither on the one hand to stop people going on holiday [or] stop the economy getting what it needs, nor is it business-as-usual as if climate change is not a problem.
The Chancellor and Prime Minister will both tell business chiefs that Britain is open for business at a meeting in the City tomorrow
The Chancellor is expected to endorse proposals for a third runway at Heathrow airport, as well as expansion at Gatwick (pictured) and Luton airports
‘And I think that’s a sensible middle ground of this debate.’
But he added: ‘I want to be absolutely clear about this – that any aviation expansion must be accounted for as part of carbon budgets… any aviation expansion must be justified within the framework of carbon budgets, and I can absolutely assure you that that’s the position of the government.
‘So any decisions must be made within that framework and only be able to go ahead if consistent with our carbon budgets.’