Downing Street has failed to guarantee whether Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will stay in his Cabinet role after an unprecedented intervention by Tony Blair.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman has refused to give a guarantee on the future of ex-Labour leader Miliband.
However, Downing Street has in the past said the Chancellor and Foreign Secretary would serve in their Cabinet positions for the remainder of this Parliament.
It comes after fellow former Labour chief Tony Blair broke ranks to criticise Miliband’s net zero strategy, warning that his eco policies and their push towards renewable energy were wrong.
Downing Street has failed to guarantee whether Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will stay in his Cabinet rolePABlair argued people were “being asked to make financial sacrifices and changes in lifestyle when they know that their impact on global emissions is minimal”.
He added: “Any strategy based on either ‘phasing out’ fossil fuels in the short term or limiting consumption is a strategy doomed to fail.”
The ex-PM has since embarked on a U-turn – with a spokeswoman for his Tony Blair Institute insisting that the ex-Prime Minister supports the current Government’s policies.
Asked whether Sir Keir Starmer still supports Miliband, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Absolutely. He’s doing a fantastic job, winning the global race for the jobs of the future and securing people’s energy bills.”
MORE ON ED MILIBAND’S NET ZERO CRUSADE:
A spokeswoman for the Tony Blair Institute insisted that the ex-Prime Minister supports the current Government’s policies
PA
And probed again on whether he would remain in his Cabinet post, a spokesman said: “The PM absolutely backs the Energy Secretary, as I said.
“He does a great job in winning the global race for the jobs of the future.”
Later on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said she “welcomed” Blair’s U-turn.
Asked whether she agreed with the former Prime Minister’s comments, Rayner said on a visit to Yorkshire: “Well, I think Tony’s clarified his comments, and he welcomes our direction of travel – and that’s on renewables, investing in the renewables and nuclear part of the mix, but we can’t rely on fossil fuels forever.
‘I think Tony’s clarified his comments, and he welcomes our direction of travel,’ Rayner said
PA
“We’ve seen what’s happened in the global market, which has meant people’s bills have shot up, and our energy security needs will rely on other forms of energy going into the future.
“We’ve also seen a growth in that sector, with thousands of jobs. So this is a way that we can grow our economy… Be self-reliant for our energy needs.
“It’s good for our economy and good for our country’s future security needs on energy.”
