Labour’s increasingly fraught approach to Net Zero was thrust back into the spotlight on Wednesday as Claire Coutinho accused Ed Miliband of being “out of control” and pursuing an energy policy that risks undermining Britain’s security and prosperity.
Making her first appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions as Shadow Energy Secretary, Coutinho used the Commons clash to attack Labour’s refusal to issue new North Sea oil and gas licences while Britain continues importing fossil fuels from overseas.
The Conservative frontbencher accused ministers of pursuing “pointless virtue-signalling” and challenged Labour to explain why imported energy was preferable to domestic production.
“Why is the Labour Government for people to get its oil and gas from Russia and Qatar but not from Aberdeen?” she asked.
With Sir Keir Starmer returning from the G7 summit, Foreign Secretary David Lammy stood in at the Dispatch Box and sought to turn the attack back on the Conservatives, accusing them of leaving Britain vulnerable to global energy shocks and highlighting Coutinho’s own support for emissions reductions while in government.
But the exchange underlined the growing political sensitivity of Labour’s energy agenda, particularly in Scotland where the future of North Sea jobs remains a potent electoral issue.
The timing is especially awkward for Downing Street. Voters go to the polls in the Aberdeen South by-election on Thursday, with both the Conservatives and Reform UK seeking to capitalise on concerns that Labour’s energy policies threaten jobs, investment and economic activity in the North Sea sector.
The dispute also comes amid reports of mounting tensions inside Government over the pace and cost of the Net Zero transition.
According to reports, relations between Sir Keir and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband have deteriorated amid disagreements over spending priorities, with pressure growing on departments to help fund increased defence expenditure.
The claims will fuel speculation about divisions at the top of Government between those focused on accelerating the green transition and those concerned about its political and economic consequences.
For Labour, the challenge is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid. Ministers argue that reducing dependence on fossil fuels is essential for long-term energy security. Critics counter that restricting domestic production while continuing to rely on imported oil and gas risks increasing costs, damaging industry and undermining public support for Net Zero itself.
As electoral pressure grows and internal tensions become harder to conceal, the argument over Britain’s energy future is rapidly becoming one of the defining political battles of Sir Keir’s premiership.
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