Ed Miliband branded ‘unfit’ Energy Secretary as Claire Coutinho says shutting down North Sea drilling is ‘run by ideology’

Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho has branded Ed Miliband an “unfit” Energy Secretary, accusing him of putting “ideology” ahead of Britain’s energy security by shutting down North Sea drilling while households continue to face pressure from high fuel and energy costs.

Speaking to GB News, Claire said there was “absolutely no excuse” for Britain to import expensive oil and gas from abroad when domestic resources remain available in the North Sea.

She also criticised Chancellor Rachel Reeves over plans to increase fuel duty later this year, questioning why the Government is pressing ahead at a time when many motorists are already struggling with rising costs.

Claire said: “I think the most important thing that people are worrying about when it comes to petrol prices is why on earth Rachel Reeves will be planning to increase fuel duty for the first time in 15 years in the autumn. That’s what we would like to see stopped.

“We kept fuel duty frozen for 15 years, and this is the exact wrong time to start increasing it, because you’re just making life worse for people who are already struggling.”

Turning to Labour’s approach to the North Sea, Claire said there was no justification for sending “billions of pounds of British money to Norway” for oil and gas that could be produced at home.

She told GB News: “The only reason that Ed Miliband is shutting down the North Sea is because of his ideology. He calls it climate vandalism to drill in the North Sea, but somehow it’s fine to import more gas from abroad with higher emissions.

“It just doesn’t make sense. We should absolutely be making the most of our own resources.”

Claire also set out what she described as the Conservatives’ “cheap power plan”, which she said would cut the average household energy bill by £200 for each of the next three years by removing what she called unnecessary taxes and levies.

She said: “We set out is our cheap power plan, which would cut energy bills for your average household by £200 for the next three years, by taking off these extra taxes and levies that the Government is choosing to impose on people who are already struggling with high costs.

“We’ve set out a plan which also cuts electricity costs for business by 20 per cent, we’re the only party who’s got a plan for businesses as well. And we would fund it by doing things like cutting wasteful spending on heat pump subsidies, for example.”

Asked whether the plan was fully costed, Claire said it would not cost the taxpayer “a penny” and argued it would make electricity cheaper for both households and businesses.

She said: “At the moment we’re paying a tiny amount of people enormous subsidies to get a heat pump, when actually the biggest barrier is that our electricity is too expensive.

“So we would rather take out those subsidies and make electricity much cheaper in this country, and we think that’s better for living standards, better for the economy, and better for people who want to use electricity, which is essentially what the Government is trying to do with those subsidies.

“So we take out wasteful spending, we wouldn’t cost the taxpayer a penny, and we would cut household bills by £200 for the next three years.”

Claire also claimed key decisions she took while in office had since been delayed or reversed under Ed Miliband, including action on new licences, Rosebank and a major power plant.

She said: “I was legislating to protect new licences, I signed off Rosebank, a controversial decision that’s now stalled, and it’s sat on Ed Miliband’s desk.

“I signed off a third large power plant in my time in office, and Ed Miliband has cancelled that. So we have no pipeline for large scale nuclear in this country outside of the ones that we started.”

Pressed on whether she believed Ed Miliband was fit for the role, Claire said she did not, arguing that his approach to energy policy was driven by ideology rather than practical need.

She concluded: “I do not think Ed Miliband is a fit Energy Secretary, particularly because he is run by ideology. It makes absolutely no sense to shut down our own resources in the North Sea and increase our imports of gas from abroad, which has higher emissions in the name of climate change.

“That is clearly a completely absurd position, and some of the biggest advocates for climate policy agree with the Conservatives on this one that we should keep drilling in the North Sea. There is absolutely no argument for not using our own resources.”

The intervention comes as pressure continues to build over fuel prices, household costs and the future of Britain’s domestic energy supply.