Labour ministers have for months been talking tough about slimming down the civil service, though the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero appears to have missed the memo. Figures quietly released show that since Red Ed took over the joint, the department has ballooned in headcount and costs…
In July 2024, DESNZ and its agencies employed 8,984 full-time-equivalent (FTE) staff, with an annual staffing cost of £65.6 million. That includes annual salaries, allowances, gold-plated pensions and consultancy fees. By April 2025, that had surged to 12,548 FTEs – an increase of 3,564 roles. The total staffing bill rose to £82 million, a hike of £16.4 million or 25%. A reminder that Reeves promised in March to cut Whitehall running costs by 15%. Running pricey net zero schemes and managing the comms fallout doesn’t come cheap…
Miliband is set to be defeated on his opposition to the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields. Humiliating…
Energy minister Michael Shanks is in Scotland today and will announce the results of the consultation on the two oil fields – which will set the precedent for future oil and gas production across the North Sea. The consultation on laws regarding greenhouse gas emissions is the result of a January ruling which claimed the projects were unlawful. It is expected to restart the approval process for them after pressure from Downing Street…
That process will take time and there is likely to be more internal fighting from anti-growth Ed. Miliband has called the Rosebank licence “climate vandalism” after all…
Rachel Reeves and the Treasury are pushing the hardest to change the rules and pave the way for more drilling projects to go ahead. DESNZ officials have already admitted that “low carbon technologies” are pushing electricity prices higher. It’s all ideology…
An advert has appeared on LinkedIn. Miliband is looking for a new communications director…
DESNZ wants someone to “promote and support the government’s mission of making Britain a clean energy superpower” as well as advising ministers and leading the departments communications efforts. Sources say outgoing communications chief James Sorene departed at the beginning of the month. Sorene was in place since 2023 and previously headed up communications at DHSC…
Guido asked DESNZ about the current situation and didn’t get anything useful by way of reply. Miliband’s department has not been getting the best press recently and its PR stunts – like hiring a fashion model to pose with heat pumps in a castle – have been roundly mocked. Can’t polish a…
For 13% of last year the taxpayer was paying for wind farms to be switched off. The National Energy System Operator’s annual report shows the grid operator paid £2.7 billion to “balance” the electricity supply and keep the wind farms switched off. This is a record. Miliband is proposing to build far more in the South of England…
Wind farms have long been constructed outside of grid constraints and it is common for them to be “constrained off.” In those cases taxpayers are on the hook twice…
Neso said in its report: “Wind curtailment is currently a major driver of balancing costs. This is because a large proportion of wind capacity in GB is connected in Scotland, which at present is a constrained region of the network.” Those damned high summer winds are also blamed…
Analysis shows that had the UK continued with gas-power systems since 2006 consumers would be approximately £220 billion better off in 2025 currency. Chance would be a fine thing…
Ed Miliband was wheeled out on the Today Programme this morning to handle the fallout after Labour’s winter fuel U-turn. Like Reeves, he was busy softening the ground for tax hikes come the Autumn. Miliband insisted the original cut wasn’t a “mistake”. The 11-point nosedive in the polls might beg to differ…
Miliband then went on to say the cuts were all about stopping “millionaires” getting government handouts. The threshold was cut to £11,500. Doesn’t exactly scream Mayfair money…
“The principle question was do the richest in our society, should they get the winter fuel payment should millionaires should the richest get the winter fuel payment I think the answer for most people to that is no principle.”
That excuse already wore thin…
Ed Miliband spoke about ‘leading’ on The Rest is Politics podcast yesterday. Ironic…
Alastair Campbell asked the energy secretary if he was worried about losing his Doncaster North seat to Reform. It’s a yes…
“Look I think Reform are a threat, yeah, I think Reform are a threat across the country. I had this conversation in the pub last Friday night… he epitomised the point of ‘go big’ which is he was saying ‘look you know whether it’s ability to afford a house make ends meet the cost of living the public services I feel like life is so hard and you’re not you guys aren’t addressing that.'”
According to Electoral Calculus’ post-locals projections Miliband’s plurality is up for the chop. He has held Doncaster North since 2005 – it would be one of the 59 Labour seats to go to Farage at a margin of 46% to 29%. Miliband is not the only cabinet minister who will be thinking of flying the coop…
Red Wall Labour backbencher Jonathan Brash told GB News that Starmer should resign:
“I’m completely fed up about it, and I think it’s got to the point now where I genuinely think that, as far as the Prime Minister is concerned, it’s not a case of if, it’s when.”