𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The energy secretary insists the war in Iran proves he’s right to push Britain faster towards renewables. He claims the crisis shows the need to “speed up the transition to clean power so Britain is never again exposed to fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators”. I agree Britain should make the most of its renewable resources. The more domestic energy the country produces, the better.

But Miliband also needs to be honest about the cost. The energy transition will require huge spending on grid upgrades, storage and backup power. National Grid estimates it’ll cost well over £100 billion by 2035. And you will pay, either through taxes or higher energy bills. Yet the real problem runs deeper. Miliband is making a historic error that could wreck Britain’s energy security and leave the country at the mercy of hostile powers.

That’s not just a complaint from some right-wing ranters or oil lobbyists, as Miliband always claims when anyone disagrees with him. It comes from one of Britain’s most respected energy economists, Professor Dieter Helm of Oxford University.

Helm has torn into the government’s approach and delivered a chilling warning about where it could lead. Under Miliband’s net zero charge, we will use even more wind and solar in our energy mix. But when the wind drops or the sun disappears, gas power stations are needed to keep the lights on. Renewables don’t replace gas. They rely on it.

Yet Miliband is blocking new drilling in the North Sea while piling punitive taxes on existing producers. His supposed clean energy revolution still depends on fossil fuels, but sourced from abroad rather than produced at home. As Helm puts it: “It is hard to think of a way to make Britain more vulnerable to a hostile power.”

His criticism is devastating precisely because it comes from such a respected voice. This is not political point scoring. It’s an urgent warning about national resilience. And it gets worse.

Solar panels, wind turbines and crucial battery materials used in the green transition are overwhelmingly produced overseas. Britain is not just dependent on imported gas but on imported technology, mostly from China.

Helm warns this leaves the country dangerously exposed as global tensions intensify. The Iran war has already shown how fragile the system is, with Britain lacking both large gas reserves and meaningful storage. If Russia attacked the Norwegian pipeline, which supplies 30% of our gas, the consequences would be severe. As Helm puts it: “The cables are obvious sitting ducks for cutting.”

The Iran conflict has exposed the weakness at the heart of Miliband’s policy, but Helm said there’s an even bigger threat out there. “Wait to see what happens if and when China invades Taiwan.”

Miliband insists his policies will strengthen energy security. Helm says they’re doing the exact opposite. “Our energy policies have not just weakened our energy security; it is much worse, they have undermined our defence.”

The energy secretary presents this as a bold green revolution. In reality, he’s sabotaging Britain’s security at a terrifying moment in our history. And nobody can stop him.