Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has strongly rebuked Nigel Farage, accusing the Reform UK leader of peddling “nonsense and lies” by attempting to link the government’s net zero policies to the challenges facing the UK steel industry.
In a scathing attack ahead of next month’s local elections, Miliband claimed that both Reform UK and the Conservative Party were deliberately distorting facts in pursuit of a hardline ideological narrative.
The senior minister warned that abandoning net zero targets would not only heighten the threat of climate breakdown but also jeopardise Britain’s future as a leader in clean energy jobs.
His comments come in the wake of the government’s move to assume control of British Steel earlier this month after negotiations with its Chinese owner, Jingye, collapsed.
Farage responded by accusing Miliband – whom he dubbed “Red Ed” – of championing “net-zero lunacy,” claiming that the policy had contributed to difficulties in sourcing coal to keep the blast furnaces at the firm’s Scunthorpe site operational.
However, government sources clarified that the coal mine in Cumbria – often cited by critics as a domestic solution – would not have produced coal suitable for use by British Steel.
Environmental campaigners have also pointed out that the North Sea’s oil and gas reserves are already in decline, regardless of government policy, and that future extraction would come at a high cost.
Farage, speaking at a Reform UK campaign event, likened the net zero agenda to a quasi-religious crusade, saying: “We’re living through a period of net-zero lunacy… championed by Red Ed, the high priest, who wants to plaster our countryside with Chinese-made solar farms and desecrate our coastlines.”
Miliband hit back, asserting that both Reform and the Conservatives were “happy to make up any old lie to suit their agenda,” and added that energy independence is “a matter of national security.”
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is expected to reaffirm the government’s commitment to a clean energy transition during an International Energy Agency conference in London this week.
Meanwhile, Farage suggested to The Sun on Sunday that opposition to net zero could become “the next Brexit,” tapping into public disillusionment with Parliament.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has also cast doubt on the feasibility of reaching net zero by 2050 – a target originally set by her own party – claiming it would require a dramatic fall in living standards or risk national bankruptcy.
Parliament recently passed emergency legislation allowing ministers to intervene in British Steel operations to avert mass job losses, following the company’s financial turmoil.
Labour has intensified its attacks on Reform UK in the lead-up to the local elections, as the right-wing party gains traction in national opinion polls.
Reform UK currently holds four MPs after winning five seats in the last general election.
The upcoming elections on 1 May will see voters across 23 councils in England cast their ballots for a total of 1,641 local authority seats.
In a scathing attack ahead of next month’s local elections, Miliband claimed that both Reform UK and the Conservative Party were deliberately distorting facts in pursuit of a hardline ideological narrative.
The senior minister warned that abandoning net zero targets would not only heighten the threat of climate breakdown but also jeopardise Britain’s future as a leader in clean energy jobs.
His comments come in the wake of the government’s move to assume control of British Steel earlier this month after negotiations with its Chinese owner, Jingye, collapsed.
Farage responded by accusing Miliband – whom he dubbed “Red Ed” – of championing “net-zero lunacy,” claiming that the policy had contributed to difficulties in sourcing coal to keep the blast furnaces at the firm’s Scunthorpe site operational.
However, government sources clarified that the coal mine in Cumbria – often cited by critics as a domestic solution – would not have produced coal suitable for use by British Steel.
Environmental campaigners have also pointed out that the North Sea’s oil and gas reserves are already in decline, regardless of government policy, and that future extraction would come at a high cost.
Farage, speaking at a Reform UK campaign event, likened the net zero agenda to a quasi-religious crusade, saying: “We’re living through a period of net-zero lunacy… championed by Red Ed, the high priest, who wants to plaster our countryside with Chinese-made solar farms and desecrate our coastlines.”
Miliband hit back, asserting that both Reform and the Conservatives were “happy to make up any old lie to suit their agenda,” and added that energy independence is “a matter of national security.”
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is expected to reaffirm the government’s commitment to a clean energy transition during an International Energy Agency conference in London this week.
Meanwhile, Farage suggested to The Sun on Sunday that opposition to net zero could become “the next Brexit,” tapping into public disillusionment with Parliament.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has also cast doubt on the feasibility of reaching net zero by 2050 – a target originally set by her own party – claiming it would require a dramatic fall in living standards or risk national bankruptcy.
Parliament recently passed emergency legislation allowing ministers to intervene in British Steel operations to avert mass job losses, following the company’s financial turmoil.
Labour has intensified its attacks on Reform UK in the lead-up to the local elections, as the right-wing party gains traction in national opinion polls.
Reform UK currently holds four MPs after winning five seats in the last general election.
The upcoming elections on 1 May will see voters across 23 councils in England cast their ballots for a total of 1,641 local authority seats.
