Think Ed Miliband is nuts? Just look at the net zero madwoman who’s replaced him

Think Ed Miliband is nuts? Just look at the net zero madwoman who’s replaced him Looks like we celebrated Ed Miliband's removal as energy secretary too soon. His replacement may be more unhinged. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Harvey Jones 20:00, Wed, Jul 22, 2026 Updated: 21:14, Wed, Jul 22, 2026 Has Andy Burnham just picked a worse energy secretary than Ed Miliband? (Image: Getty) How can that be? Wasn’t Miliband a total disaster as energy secretary? Yes. Having seen Miliband in action, Andy Burnham refused to make him chancellor. The last thing the new PM needs is Red Ed running amok with the nation’s finances, just as he did with our energy policy. Unfortunately, Miliband's replacement holds all the crazy ideas he did, and more. We could be lurching from the frying pan into the fire. During the 2024 election, Miliband claimed his green transition would cut £300 off the average household energy bill, a figure plucked from the ether that had net zero connection with reality. Bills surged instead, hammering households and driving the deindustrialisation of Britain . Miliband will cost the country tens of billions, after pouring huge sums into wind and solar we can't use, covered fertile countryside with solar panels , and throwing cash at carbon capture technology that's never worked anywere. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Get the latest politics news - straight from our team in Westminster and more Subscribe Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy Green levies designed to fund renewables and costly grid upgrades add £11billion a year to bills. The Office for Budget Responsibility says the cost will hit £18billion by 2030. This costs the average home £450 to £500 a year. In a sleight of hand, Rachel Reeves shifted around £150 of that to general taxation, but it means ordinary Britons still pay just in a slightly different way. Miliband also blocked new North Sea drilling , depriving us of billions of revenues and leaving us even more dependent on imported oil and gas, including from Vladimir Putin 's Russia . Now meet his successor. Andy Burnham hands 1.52p per mile charges plan to households with driveways Burnham hands older state pensioners £240 extra with state pension triple lock boost You may not know much about Miatta Fahnbulleh yet , but that's about to change. Burnham has just appointed her Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. She's one of his closest allies, a far left firebrand and unapologetic admirer of Ed Miliband. Her ideas are the same as his, and may wreak just as much havoc. As head of the New Economics Foundation think tank, Fahnbulleh attacked net zero but not for the reason you might think. Instead of moving too fast, she think it's too slow. In 2019, she demanded that Britain delivered zero greenhouse gas emissions 15 years ahead of the 2050 target, funded by higher taxes and more borrowing. That means replacing millions of gas boilers, accelerating the switch to electric vehicles, and overhauling British industry. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice branded her an "eco-zealot". Now she's in charge. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Fahnbulleh doesn't stop there. She's called new fossil fuel projects "irresponsible and shortsighted" and wants even tougher windfall taxes than today's 78% levy on UK producers. She's also called for households who use more gas and electricity to pay higher charges, and a new levy on frequent flyers. Even Miliband didn't get around to those. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Will Burnham keep her on a tight leash? He's under huge pressure to revive North Sea oil and gas production, including from Labour-backing unions including GMB and Unite, and former Labour PM Tony Blair. Deputy leader Lucy Powell has hinted at a "a more pragmatic approach". We'll see. I'm all for offshore wind and solar panels on warehouses but blocking domestic oil and gas is madness, especially in an energy crisis. It forces Britain to import more from Norway, the US, Qatar and even Russia, often with a bigger carbon footprint. Reversing that could unlock £50billion of investment, generate more than £13billion in tax receipts and support tens of thousands of jobs, according to Offshore Energies UK. Labour needs to calm down and approach the challenges of climate change with a clear head. Even its own voters want a reset. Polling shows almost 70% think Britain should prioritise North Sea oil and gas production. Miliband refused to listen. Now he’s gone. Will Fahnbulleh show more sense? Judging by what she's said in the past, the signs aren't good. Andy Burnham Ed Miliband Miatta Fahnbulleh Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments