If Keir Starmer wants to secure his legacy, there is a growth plan ready and waiting for him

This post was originally published by BusinessGreen 

The word on Downing Street is that Kier Starmer is looking for ‘announceables‘ to shore up his legacy, should his premiership come to an end soon. As much as I’d prefer not to hear the word ‘announceable’ ever again, I feel duty bound to point out that there is one hovering in the wings, providing an opportunity for a transformative legacy.

The Circular Economy Growth Plan is now more than six months past its expected launch date. Back in November 2024, when the government formed a taskforce to co-develop England’s first ever circular economy strategy, the intention was to release the full plan in October 2025. Despite all the detailed work that went into getting it ready (and I should know as one of the members of that taskforce), it still hasn’t been released.

Businesses are fed up with the delay

Some might argue that Starmer’s attention is justifiably elsewhere. Over the past six months, events – and certain powerful individuals – have thrown the world into turmoil. Conflict in the Persian Gulf has rattled markets and supply chains, sending costs soaring and squeezing UK household budgets more than they already were.

But, far from shelving it for a calmer time, the Circular Economy Growth Plan should be hurried out now as a vital step towards addressing these problems. It’s an opportunity to provide a credible vision for long term economic protection, for businesses and the public, from the many pressures that are right now dominating the headlines.

Over the past few weeks, Green Alliance has joined other voices to make the case for releasing the plan without further delay. By my count, there have been at least four letters to the government over the past month or so, including from major UK businesses, calling for its release.

After a successful parliamentary repair café in May – which was attended by more than 90 MPs, demonstrating clear cross party support for reuse and repair – the Restart Project co-ordinated a letter to the prime minister, highlighting the overwhelming political and public support for reuse and repair. These activities are not parochial community affairs, they are at the heart of creating a more resilient, less wasteful economy that keeps the cost of living for everyone in check.

Around the same time, over 50 businesses and trade and professional bodies, including IKEA, Virgin Media O2 and Arup, wrote to the Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, calling on the government to clear up the uncertainty and issue the plan, so they can get on with investing in circular business activities.

The Environmental Policy Forum has also written to the environment secretary to the same effect, while the textiles industry sent its call straight to the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, demanding both the plan and “a clear legislative timetable for textiles extended producer responsibility”, which will protect this vital industry, ensuring it is competitive with international counterparts. There have probably been other calls I’m not aware of, as this is a rising chorus of concern.

It’s a market waiting to take off

Green Alliance asked some of the major businesses calling for the clarity to explain exactly why they need the plan. Amongst a long list of reasons, the Renewable Energy Association and others cited resilience, competitiveness, growth and energy security. Nearly all of them need the long term signal to invest. UK based global leaders in the construction industry Arup say it will improve affordability for their clients by reducing and improving material use. TechUK says keeping pace with the EU, to avoid increased complexity for businesses and compliance costs, will help to make the UK more attractive to investors. And Virgin Media O2 needs it to satisfy fast rising customer demand in the reuse, repair and refurbishment market and grow the new business models that support it.

These businesses are speaking up because delay is harming them now and there is suspicion the plan, at worst, could be quietly dropped. That would be a serious mistake. They aren’t looking for subsidy or special treatment, just for policy certainty to bring about the ‘futureproofed‘ economy the government promised when it announced in 2024, to great fanfare, that there would be a plan.

So, if the Prime Minister is looking for something to burnish his legacy, he should get this plan off the shelf and out, as it will be popular with voters of all stripes, and a truly circular economy ticks the boxes of growth, long term resilience and household savings.

Image credit: House of Commons on Flickr