The Critic Profile Ed Miliband

The green zealotry of the energy secretary remains undimmed and some Labour insiders are concerned

Jonathan Ford

WHEN A FRESH-FACED ED MILIBAND became energy secretary for the first time nearly two decades ago, his opening act was to strike a red pen through the key climate target he’d inherited — and massively increase it. In place of a promise to cut carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, already seen as a stretch, he upped it to 80 per cent. It was late 2008, and crashing financial markets had just set Britain on course for recession and soaring unemployment; hardly the time for costly new commitments. But none of that stopped the neophyte minister. Economic difficulties were no excuse to “row back” on the commitment to tackle global warming, he said. It was what Sir Humphrey might have called a “brave decision”, and one that embroiled…

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The Critic (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2025

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