Welcome to the Green Alliance podcast. We are the charity and think tank dedicated to achieving

ambitious environmental leadership. I'm Lucy Pegg, senior political advisor at Green Alliance.

On the 4th of July, 24, the UK decisively elected a Labour government, who won on a landslide

and ended 14 years of Conservative rule.

Kier Starrma became Prime Minister, taking an 174-seat majority with him into Parliament,

the third best showing in the party's history, on the back of a manifesto that featured bold environmental pledges.

Now, 12 months on, we're looking back on one year of Starmer's government.

In this episode, we'll be hearing from Green Alliance experts, as well as others working in major environmental organisations.

We'll be hearing from them what the big moments of the past year have been, whether labour have lived up to their expectations, and what all this has meant for the climate and nature agenda.

I'm here with Sean Spears, Executive Director at Green Alliance, to get his thoughts on Labor's first year.

So, Sean, how has the first year felt to you?

Obviously, from the government's point of view, it's been very rocky. They've found government quite difficult. They were less prepared than I think people were expecting. And a whole lot of

events have just hit them. Trump's election, pivoting towards Russia away from Ukraine, war in Gaza,

difficult economic climate. From the point of view, the government, they box themselves

into a corner economically as well by ruling out various tax rises. And so they've had

real difficulties. I think from an environmental point of view, I'm reasonably chipper. I think

in the context of a very difficult financial situation, the spending review was good for our

issues. Ed Miliband clearly came to power,

knowing what he wanted to do, and has got on with it with great pace and been one of the most

effective ministers. And Steve Reid, who hadn't been in post as a death for a secretary very long,

or death for shadow secretary very long, when the election was called, has actually been a really effective champion, I think,

of the environment. So there are obviously things we don't like. There's things could have gone

...