Labour minister sparks fury for 'playing down' net zero costs on struggling families

Labour minister sparks fury for 'playing down' net zero costs on struggling families Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh faces intense backlash after comments on eye-watering costs Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Aaron Newbury , Political Correspondent 17:44, Thu, Oct 22, 2026 Updated: 17:45, Thu, Oct 22, 2026 Miatta Fahnbulleh was accused of downplaying the cost of net zero (Image: Getty) Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has sparked fury after critics accused her of playing down concerns about the cost of net zero on working families. The Peckham MP is seen as a close ally of Prime Minister Andy Burnham and broke cover after a recent row where she appeared to refuse to back her own Government's immigration policies. Now she has said that she is "really concerned" and "quite sad" about the approach of other political parties toward the staggering cost of going green. Richard Tice , deputy leader of Reform UK, accused Ms Fahnbulleh of having an "obsession" with the topic, which she has backed for years. He told the Daily Express: "It is utterly staggering that this Government remains stubbornly clinging to its ideological net zero obsession while hard-pressed British families and businesses pay the price. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT "It is time to scrap these reckless net zero fantasies, unleash our own abundant energy resources, such as the Rosebank oilfield, and finally put British households first. "Under a Reform UK government, I will cut energy bills by £250 per year within the first 100 days of a Reform government, or I will resign." Get personal finance news, money saving tips and advice plus selcted offers and competitions I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family . Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. 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 third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . Households told to stockpile food, water and medicine in new warning Sadiq Khan sparks Brexit outrage with latest EU demand - 'catastrophic!' Ms Fahnbulleh recently signed off on the Jackdaw field, but refused to clear Rosebank. Her predecessor, Ed Miliband, once said doing so would be an act of "climate vandalism". Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Speaking at an event in Westminster, she said she was "really concerned" about the approach of Reform UK and the Conservatives to net zero, adding: "In fact I'm quite sad about it." Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT A furious Reform UK source accused her of "playing down" the cost of net zero on British families. Before she was elected as an MP, Ms Fahnbulleh worked for the Left-wing New Economics Foundation, where she called for 5% of GDP to be spent on net zero. Yet she told reporters: "I think it's a sad place where Reform have got to, but I am even sadder about the Tories because they know better, and they've had a long tradition [...] of working cross-party on climate action." The 47-year-old Burnhamite said it had been "really painful and tragic to watch that consensus burn, at the time when we have seen the impact of climate change this summer". She added: "The way that I see it is that we have to be better, and that is my job of not talking about this sort of highly ideological way." In 2021, the now-minister again supported eye-watering expenditure on the move to net zero, writing online that the Government needed "to spend £30billion a year". Other demands include calling on the UK to contribute to a £100billion climate finance fund for the so-called "Global South". Energy bills Reform UK Miatta Fahnbulleh Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments