In a scathing critique, former Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho has accused the Miliband government of “doubling down” on its net zero carbon emissions drive, claiming that British families and businesses are “paying the price for years of foolish policy.”
Coutinho, who served in the final year of the previous Conservative government, argued that the country is “decades into a folly of our own making” and warned that “things must change before it is too late.” She claimed that the promised green energy sector, built on solar and wind power, has failed to deliver on its promises of job creation and reduced energy bills.
“The economics of prioritising intermittent, subsidised renewable energy over reliable power from domestically-extracted natural gas were fundamentally flawed,” Coutinho said. “The British public know this, because their energy bills prove it.”
Aiming her criticism at current Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Coutinho accused him of “doubling down on a renewables-based system” that involves “building more and more capacity, much of which will sit idle for huge swathes of time.” This, she argued, has led to a “higher cost, less productive energy system which delivers less value for billpayers.”
Coutinho’s comments come as part of a report from the Prosperity Institute, which recommends abolishing the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The institute’s director of strategy, Fred de Fossard, stated that “access to cheap and abundant energy is one fundamental pillar of national prosperity” and without it, “sustained economic growth is not possible.”
Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, also weighed in, attacking the Conservatives’ “green policies” for pushing up bills, damaging British industries like steel, and leaving the country “less secure.” Tice promised that a Reform UK government would “scrap net zero and fast-track licences for North Sea oil and gas to cut bills and restore growth.”
In response, a spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero argued that “the only way to bring down energy bills and deliver energy security is by making Britain a clean energy superpower, which will get us onto clean, homegrown power that we control.” The spokesperson claimed that the National Energy System Operator has estimated that the country could save £36 billion annually by hitting its 2050 net zero goals.
The debate over the balance between climate action and affordability continues to be a major dividing line in British politics, with both sides making their case for the best path forward.
