Ed Miliband has been elected as the new Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero following the Labour Party’s landslide victory in the general election.
Miliband, who served as the leader of Labour Party and the opposition between 2010 and 2015, will acquire the position from exiting Conservative MP Claire Coutinho.
In the build-up to the election, Coutinho was highly critical of Labour’s energy plans, taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express that “it is a mess,” likening it to New Zealand’s attempts to ban new oil and gas licences—something that was later reversed.
Miliband has advocated for Labour’s energy policy and net zero. He recently took to the stage at Innovation Zero in London to discuss its vision, detailing that Labour will tackle the “four horsemen of the apocalypse” for the UK’s energy transition: grid delays, planning delays, supply chain problems and the skills gap.
Indeed, Miliband expressed that the 2030 target is Labour’s “North star” and will become one of its focuses. For this to be achieved, Miliband stated that “we must work together”, with collaboration set to be a vital cog in the party’s ambition.
Miliband appoint a ‘message of intent’
The wider energy industry has welcomed Miliband’s appointment. Sam Richards, CEO of the pro-growth campaign group Britain Remade, said it is a “clear message of intent from Keir Starmer and his new government.”
“Ed has been a strong champion for the planning reforms needed to build the new sources of clean energy. At the stroke of a pen, he can reverse the de facto ban on new onshore wind farms in England – unlocking one of the cheapest forms of energy available and lowering bills for millions of households across the country,” Richards added.
Jess Ralston, Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit’s (ECIU) energy analyst, said that Miliband will “now need to translate the vision into progress and the upcoming renewables auction is important for accelerating investment”.
“Labour now has a mandate to drive forward its policies and planning reform to make this happen, which in turn will make the UK more energy independent. The North Sea is in ongoing decline, irrespective of new licences, so the shift from gas boilers to electric heat pumps running on British renewables is essential to avoid the UK becoming more dependent on foreign energy,” Ralston added.
