𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Ed Miliband made a demand to Andy Burnham as he was moved away from his prized net-zero brief, it has been suggested. Broadcaster and former Labour minister Ed Balls said he was “sure” Mr Miliband had called for Miatta Fahnbulleh to replace him as Energy Secretary in Mr Burnham’s Cabinet reshuffle.

Mr Miliband had been among the frontrunners for Chancellor, it is thought, but missed out to John Healey, instead being tasked with heading up the Foreign Office. Mr Balls said he thinks Mr Miliband “believes he was promised the job”, and expected the former Labour leader was “furious” over the decision, suggesting he only agreed to the move by ensuring net-zero champion Ms Fahnbulleh succeeded him. He described Ms Fahnbulleh, who has been outspoken on the climate crisis, as “one of the few people who think Ed Miliband is insufficiently radical in his approach to climate change and net zero”.

Discussing her appointment on his Political Currency podcast with former Tory chancellor George Obsorne, Mr Balls said: “But Ed Miliband was not made the chancellor and he would have been furious and let down.

“And I’m sure he made Miata [Fahnbulleh] taking over his job, to carry on his work, the price for agreeing to that.”

Mr Osoborne described Ms Fahnbulleh’s appointment as “odd” amid reports the Prime Minister is considering approving new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea — something Mr Miliband had resisted.

Responding to the move earlier this week, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Ms Fahnbulleh was “possibly worse” than her predecessor because “she wants net zero by 2030”.

On Thursday, Ms Fahnbulleh visited Aberdeen — home to much of the UK’s oil and gas industry — to meet leaders in the sector.

Industry sources reportedly believe the new Government is ready to “move quickly” to scale up oil and gas production, with Mr Burnham believed to be weighing up green-lighting new drilling at the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields.

David Whitehouse, chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, said he and Ms Fahnbulleh had “a constructive discussion about the UK’s energy future and the need for a pragmatic approach to the transition” away from fossil fuels.