News about Ed Miliband

The UK will have to come up with a new strategy to reach net zero after a High Court judge ruled the existing plan was unlawful. Last year the then energy secretary Grant Shapps (left) signed off a strategy known as the sixth carbon budget - stating how the country would meet targets ahead of cutting carbon emissions to net zero in 2050. The Government's plan to deliver the cuts details policies in a large number of areas, including targets for the sale of electric cars, the installation of heat pumps and even how farmers spread manure on the ground. But Mr Justice Sheldon ruled Mr Shapps was 'mistaken' in submitting the plan because it assumed the policies would be delivered in full.

Now that Labour has reasserted its ballot-box superiority in municipal polls and the South Blackpool by-election, it will be hard to escape an intense focus on what a Keir Starmer and Reeves party will do in power. History tells us that when new brooms arrive at the Treasury, there is always a black hole. Pre-election pledges and manifesto promises are as dust when the books are opened. Loopholes, a Reeves favourite, offer many opportunities for piling on the agony.

Sir Keir Starmer today lashed out 'absolute chaos' in Scottish politics as Humza Yousaf quit as First Minister and SNP leader. He claimed the Scottish public had been 'fundamentally let down' and called for a 'fresh start'. The Labour leader reiterated his demand for an immediate general election, while his party insisted there should also be a snap Scottish Parliament election. Mr Yousaf's departure as First Minister little more than a year after replacing Nicola Sturgeon in Bute House has thrown the SNP into a fresh meltdown. But the pro-independence party's latest travails will likely be met with glee in Labour ranks as they seek to re-establish their past dominance in Scottish politics. A revival of Labour's fortunes in Scotland has long been regarded as key to the party's chances of forming a government at Westminster again and ensuring Sir Keir becomes PM. Earlier this month, a YouGov mega-poll projected Labour would comfortably be Scotland's largest party in terms of seats at the upcoming general election. The MRP study, based on detailed seat-by-seat polling, found Sir Keir was set to win 28 Scottish seats at the general election compared to the SNP's 19, while the Tories and Liberal Democrats would win five each. Such a result would be a remarkable turnaround nearly a decade on from Labour's 2015 general election performance under then-leader Ed Miliband, when they suffered a near-wipeout in Scotland. Labour went from winning 41 out of 59 seats in Scotland at the 2010 general election to retaining just one Scottish constituency five years later.

QUENTIN LETTS: Should politicians be allowed to campaign on NHS premises? Lee Anderson (Reform, Ashfield) caused a kerfuffle in the Commons by complaining about a recent election event at his constituency's hospital. It featured Sir Keir Starmer and Labour's health spokesman Wes Streeting, plus a Labour mayoral candidate. Mr Anderson said the event amounted to 'gutter politics' and that the Labour mayoral hopeful, who happens to chair that hospital trust, was using the place as 'a campaign prop'.

ANDREW PIERCE: As one of the architects of New Labour, the former Cabinet minister Lord Mandelson enjoys an open line to Sir Keir Starmer. The consummate master of political spin and self-styled 'Prince of Darkness', who masterminded Tony Blair's 1997 election victory, was banished to the wilderness during Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. But how long will he be back in favour with Starmer? A few weeks ago, he was back in Labour HQ's bad books when he said that 'Starmer needs to shed a few pounds' to boost his popularity. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting accused Mandelson of 'fat shaming'.

Coming through the radio was an unfortunate, adenoidal voice that all but shrunk my toothpaste back into its tube. For this distinctive drone was emanating from a man with a base layer of smugness and repeated high notes of condescension. It was Ed Miliband, Labour 's Shadow Secretary of State of Climate Change and Net Zero, being interviewed on Radio 4's Today programme last Thursday. You might have thought he might have had the good grace to slink out of politics after having led the Labour Party to defeat in the 2015 General Election. No such luck.

Labour's leader insisted yesterday he had 'complete confidence' in his deputy, despite not having seen the legal and tax advice she received in the row over the sale of her former council house that is being investigated by police. His Shadow Cabinet colleague Ed Miliband suggested that asking to check her account would have made it look like he did have concerns. Asked if it would signal more confidence if he looked at the advice, Mr Miliband said: 'I think if he had to say, "well, I need to check this up", I think it could send the opposite signal.'

Labour's deputy leader is facing ongoing scrutiny of her financial affairs concerning the sale of the former council house in Manchester almost a decade ago. She is also being investigated by police over suggestions she may have broken electoral law by registering to vote at a house that was not her main home. The Times today reported that Ms Rayner will argue that the property was her main home, rather than a house owned nearby by her now ex-husband. But the paper said independent legal advice she has received says that even if it was not her main home, she would not be liable for CGT on its sale because of the amount she spent on renovating its kitchen before offloading it.

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: It's telling that before today no Labour leader had visited the nuclear shipyard at Barrow-in-Furness for more than 30 years. For decades the party has been at best ambivalent towards maintaining our ultimate deterrent, at worst downright hostile. Many of its activists still sit firmly in the latter camp. Less than five years ago, Labour was led by Jeremy Corbyn, who stated publicly that he would never agree to the use of nuclear weapons. His predecessor Ed Miliband wanted only a 'minimum deterrent', hinting that he would cut back our nuclear fleet.

Shell and BP have slowed their response to climate change but are still the largest investors in green projects in the UK. As satisfying as it is that Britain has dramatically reduced its fossil fuel dependence, energy security remains paramount. London has long has been a great centre for natural resources companies but the underpinnings are being eroded. BNP escaped to Australia.

According to polls, in a few months' time, Opposition Leader Sir Keir Starmer will face him in digs much more salubrious than his first London flat above a massage parlour. Sir Keir's life became more accessible and more liberal as he stepped up-sized across his beloved north London over the years. We take a look at the property moves Sir Keir has made in his lifetime from a bungalow in Woodchurch Kent to a four-bed terrace in Kentish Town.

Labour's proposals for the oil and gas industry could make the UK become "uninvestable," according to Labour's top trade body. Offshore Energies UK said the oil and gas industry was facing "significant challenges" over licensing and taxation as Sir Keir Starmer unveiled plans for a publicly owned clean energy company in North Wales yesterday. Ross Dornan, the company's marketing manager, expressed doubt about the future licensing policy.' For example, Labor policy has stated that the issuing of new licenses in the United Kingdom would stop.' We're seeing tax reforms, with further tax changes being outlined by Labour if they're to be elected.' "All of this comes together with other challenges as well, making it a very difficult investment environment in the United Kingdom," he said. Labour has agreed not to extend the windfall tax on oil and gas to 2029, but to increase the rate from 75% to 78 percent when it comes into power.

Steve Reed, the party's environment representative, is earning £155,200 this year from Tetra Pak heiress Lisbet Rausing. According to his list of financial interest, the cash, which will be paid in monthly instalments, would'cover covert staffing and related expenses for my frontbench position.' It comes after Ms Rausing announced in December that Ed Miliband will be getting £233,600 this year from Ms Rausing to support his role as Labour's climate change and net zero spokesperson. It has ignited fears that a Labour government would endorse Ms Rausing's proposal to'rewild' Britain, turning farmland into parks and removing predators such as the lynx.

To see power in formation, to be on Glasgow's Scottish Event Campus last weekend. During Anas Sarwar's bruising address on Saturday, lobbyists and companies gathered for coffee and croissants in a break from manning the hundreds of stalls constructed for the occasion. A few grand got you into the venue and the hope that you might have a 'brush past' with Mr Sarwar, or, better still, a shadow UK minister up for the day.

When opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer pulled out of his pledge to invest £28 billion a year to protect the earth, the shadow climate secretary was left humiliated. Mr Miliband, for the first time since the turn, said he had not considered quitting his frontbench post, despite Channel 4 News''s advice: 'Absolutely not.' Despite claims that he had protested Sir Keir Starmer's deposition, he said that the latest £4.7 billion-per-year deal fulfilled his conditions, 'to change the dial on climate'. Asked if he was resigning because he was intending to be a minister again if Labour gained the next election, he said, 'I feel in a position of influence, which is - I can make a difference.'

Since Labour's rejected the party's £28 billion a year budget plans, Ed Miliband said today that he did not consider quitting over Labour's green U-turn. When Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves cancelled the deal, the shadow climate secretary was believed to be on resignation watch. Mr Miliband, the former Labour leader, had argued strongly for sticking with the £28 billion figure and was seen as a key supporter of the policy. However, he rowed in behind Sir Keir and Ms Reeves this evening, saying that Britain could still'move the dial on climate change' under Labour's now diluted-down plans. Following Sir Keir's humiliating change in his flagship investment decisions, Mr Miliband's display of unity lifts some tensions on him. The U-turn has also sparked deep divisions in Labour, with trade unions, environmental organizations, and backbenchers all condemning the decision.

Sir Keir said that the green budget promise had been'stood down.' Stood down! That's one way to say, 'flushed down the khazi,' because even now we can see Ed Miliband as a moron.' Mr Miliband was not in the room. Sir Keir's bodyguards aren't stupid. However, the reporters were assured that the shadow energy secretary was 'fully signed up.' Ed is a bad guy. He has dreamed of spending billions of dollars on eco initiatives for years, but now he has been mocked by two people who look like characters from a Tunes commercial.

In the Commons on Tuesday afternoon, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt was enjoying himself as he mocked Labour MPs over the party's pledge to invest an eye-watering £28 billion per year on a green growth programme. 'Increasing spending by £28 billion will result in an increase in income tax by 4 percent or increasing corporation tax, which Labour says will cap by 8 percent,' Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said to his opposite number.' Which is it to be? The unspoken question was left hanging in the air. But from a stony-faced Reeves, there was only a sullen silence.

Today, Keir Starmer and Tony Blair were among a group of the Labour elite gathered to say their goodbyes to Derek Draper. The former Prime Minister and former Prime Minister were among those attending the funeral for the New Labour stalwart. Ed Miliband, Ed Balls, Lord Mandelson, and Alastair Campbell, who all worked closely with Mr Draper during the Blair period, were all on hand to pay their respects. Kate Garraway, the wife of Mr Draper, was gathered at the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Primrose Hill with family and friends. He died last month at the age of 56, after years of fighting Covid's effects.

The 73-year-old ex-Labour councillor was seen at Manchester Crown Court today for a hearing on allegations of misconduct by abusing his position. He is accused of perpetrating the assault while assisting Margaret Mary Jarvis as a power of attorney and, after her death, when he acted as an executor. As the trial was postponed to March 1, no pleas were entered today. Last September, a judge told former Methodist minister Flowers that he suffered a stroke the day before he was scheduled in court suspected of fraud. Flowers did not appear at a brief hearing scheduled later in Manchester Magistrates' Court, where he was supposed to appear defrauding a woman and using cheques while 'dishonestly' acting as a power of attorney.

The shadow cabinet minister spoke about how he was not aware of political jokes long before his time as Labour leader Tim Leo Varadkar's ill-fated stint as Prime Minister. Mr Miliband served as a political advisor at the Treasury in the early 2000s, when Sir Tony was Prime Minister. "I was the go-between between the two sides,' Gordon Brown's office and Tony Blair's office, according to him in the Sunday Times. 'But Blair's office had a rude name for me,' he said.' Mr Miliband's surprise victory over his brother David for Labour's leadership in 2010 culminated in an embarrassing loss five years later.

MEASLES are not simply a passage of time. DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Measles are not limited to a childhood rite of passage. It's a common disease and can be extremely infectious. For the most part, the infection will be obnoxious. However, it does sometimes lead to deafness, brain damage, and death, resulting in an unimaginable heartbreak for the families affected. It ought not have been consigned to history in advanced nations such as the United Kingdom, where its health care budget has been paid to the hilt. And yet, this old scourge is making an unwelcome return to the United Kingdom 60 years after medical science discovered an effective vaccine to stamp it out.

Cornish Knockers were tiny, impish animals that lived in Cornish tin mines. Miners would often hear sounds underground, which they attributed to these sprites. Knockers were mercurial animals that could lead to abundant veins of ore or, conversely, cause mischief by leading them into dangerous parts of the mine.

Ed Miliband, Labour's green champion, has accepted a $230,000 contribution from the Tetra Pak empire's creators - who are partially responsible for clogging up landfill sites around the world. Mr Miliband, the Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change, is earning nearly £20,000 a month from Lisbet Rausing, the granddaughter of Tetra Pak's co-founder. The money will be paid for employees in his office until the General Election.