KEIR Starmer has been accused of a “total lack of ambition” after he slashed a pledge of £28 billion in green investment each year to £4.7bn – the same amount as the Scottish Government has allocated in its new Budget.

Labour finally confirmed that they had ditched their flagship green investment pledge on Thursday, saying that instead of £28bn annually they would look to spend just £23.5bn over five years.

The U-turn was condemned by the SNP, who called it a "deeply damaging move that threatens jobs, investment and economic growth in Scotland".

The Scottish Greens highlighted that Starmer’s new pledge was only equivalent to the amount which Scotland is already set to spend on climate projects in its 2024/25 Budget.

Ross Greer, the party’s finance spokesperson at Holyrood, said: "Despite the huge constraints of devolution and massive budget cuts from Westminster, with Scottish Greens in government we are delivering a new climate package worth a record £4.7bn over the next year.

"The fact that Keir Starmer is proposing the same total for the entire of the UK, with a far greater landmass and population, is a total abdication of responsibility and an utter failure in the face of the greatest crisis our planet faces."

A Scottish Government spokesperson confirmed that Starmer’s pledged figure matched the amount they had earmarked to spend in the next Budget.

They said: “The Scottish Government is committing £4.7bn in capital and resource spend in 2024/25 for activities that will have a positive impact on delivery of our climate change and just transition goals.”

On Thursday, MSPs approved the Scottish Government’s proposed 2024/25 Budget at stage one.

The National: Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer in the Scottish Parliament

Greer (above) added: "Sir Keir Starmer's climate climbdown shows the total lack of vision and ambition in the Labour Party. We've just had a year of climate breakdown and extreme weather events and he's slashed his flagship climate fund by over 80% before even getting a sniff of power.

"Starmer has shown he is prepared to turn his back on future generations and shed all of his previous pledges and commitments.”

The Labour leader has argued that his green investment U-turn was about being “straight” with voters.

READ MORE: Top ranking Labour activist: 'I don't believe a word Keir Starmer says'

He blamed the Tories for his failure to keep his pledge, telling broadcasters on Friday: “I think the British public appreciate us being straight and saying because of the damage the Tories have done, we can’t now do everything that we wanted to do.

“I would much rather be straight with the British public than make a promise I can’t keep.”

Starmer’s Labour has become known for its frequent U-turns on policy, with the Tories calling him “flip-flop”.

This week, Labour have also ditched their pledge to abolish the House of Lords and replace it with an upper chamber, despite polling showing massive support for the policy and only 13% opposed.