‘National security relies on energy security’
same oil from Norway and even Russia. Aberdeen looked at the choice before them and decided that Douglas Lumsden was the candidate that would fight for families, workers and business. The Conservative Party will keep fighting for common sense, a stronger economy and a stronger country.
“Meanwhile, the Labour Party is now at war with itself.
“But whoever leads Labour, they will always end up taxing even more to spend more in benefits. Because the problem isn’t Keir Starmer, it’s the Labour Party. Or as they’re now known, the Welfare Party.”
Thursday’s by-election in the nation’s energy capital saw Labour’s Nurul Hoque Ali win just 1,550 votes – 9,905 fewer than his party secured in the 2024 general election. He finished fourth behind the Tories, the SNP – which lost the seat – and Reform UK.
Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice also urged Mr Burnham to fire Mr Miliband if he makes it to No10.
The former Labour leader is considered a key ally of the outgoing Mayor of Greater Manchester and has been tipped to serve as his Chancellor.
Mr Tice said: “The result in Aberdeen is a devastating result for Labour’s net-zero zealots and a clear rejection of the ban on new oil and gas licences in the North Sea.
“Burnham must move Red Ed Miliband from [the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero].
The government should allow new drilling to bring about growth, jobs and lower bills.” He claimed that “if a Prime Minister Burnham were to appoint Red Ed Miliband as Chancellor then it would be a clear sign that Labour is blind to economic reality”.
A Labour MP, speaking anonymously, said there was a “huge amount of pressure” within the party – particularly among Scottish MPS – to end the ban on new exploration.
The politician also wants Mr Miliband sacked as Energy Secretary, saying: “Any sensible leader [would] have said to Ed a long time ago, ‘There’s no future in Parliament for you’.”
And the MP fears a “run on the pound” if he did replace Rachel Reeves as Chancellor.
Fred de Fossard, of the Prosperity Institute think tank, accused Mr Miliband of pursuing a “policy of deliberately destroying Britain’s oil and gas economy in the North Sea”. He said: “This has had brutal effects on the prosperity of Aberdeen, as redundancies in the once-thriving oil and gas industry hammer the city.”
He believes a Labour leadership election would be the “perfect opportunity to draw a line under Miliband’s destructive energy policy and revive the North Sea”.
Meanwhile, an Aberdeen-based manager in the energy industry, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “It is clear that Aberdonians are not willing to accept the continuing, nonsensical
‘Net-zero energy is dearer and dirtier’
destruction of the UK’S oil and gas industry, which has cost them – and the wider UK economy – so dearly.”
He called on Mr Burnham to “think very carefully about any plans he may have to appoint the deluded net-zero crusader Ed Miliband to any position of power – let alone allowing him to pursue his ultimate goal of becoming Chancellor”.
Andy Mayer, an energy analyst with the Institute of Economic Affairs, another think tank, said present net-zero policies makes what the UK uses “more expensive, dirtier, and less secure” and that the country “forgoes the boon to taxes and growth from investment in new supply”.
He predicted that “both the Conservatives and Reform are likely to benefit” if Labour continues with the policies.
Louise Gilmour, Scotland Secretary of the GMB trade union, turned her guns on ministers in both the UK and Scottish governments, saying: “Their rushed and needless rundown of the North Sea is continuing
SIR Keir Starmer last night faced calls from across the Labour Party to set out plans to quit Downing Street after Andy Burnham’s emphatic success in the Makerfield by-election.
Former Justice Secretary Lord Falconer said Sir Keir has “absolutely no authority”.
He described the Prime Minister’s position as “completely unmaintainable”.
Sir Keir had insisted he will not “walk away” but the Labour peer pushed for him not to stand in a leadership contest.
Mr Burnham is expected to meet Sir Keir early this week. His allies have reportedly said the Makerfield MP will present the PM with a list of 200 fellow MPS who would support him in a contest to lead the party.
However, former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips – considered close to ex-health Secretary Wes Streeting – has spoken out in favour of a contest rather than a coronation.
She said: “Whilst I don’t want a long protracted bunfight where we just trash the record of everything the Labour Party has done in the last 100 years, I do think that [Mr Burnham] does have to come and prove himself to people.” despite an industrial catastrophe unfolding in plain sight.”
She said the Aberdeen South by-election result “must be a wake-up call”, adding: “We will need oil and, in particular, gas, for decades. So why are we shutting down North Sea industries instead of bolstering our energy security and protecting jobs while building our renewables capacity.”
Analysing the ballot, election expert Sir John Curtice said “developing and selling an economic policy that speaks more broadly to voters’ financial concerns” might provide the Conservatives with “a pathway to electoral revival – as well as making the debate about the UK’S energy policy more politically contentious”.
Mr Miliband’s power within Labour was demonstrated when the King’s Speech set out a plan to make permanent the ban on new licences to explore fresh oil and gas fields.
This fuelled fears that Britain will grow increasingly reliant on imports which will be
Home Office minister Mike Tapp opposed a change of leadership, warning it would lead to intense pressure from Reform UK for a general election. He said: “I’ve consistently been against the chaos my party are causing. I’ll always, always put country first.”
But former home secretary Alan
Johnson had a grim message for Sir Keir, telling
LBC: “I’d say it’s over, Keir. And listen, he’s a bright guy.
“He knows it’s over. He will forever be in the history books as the man who turned us around, Labour, from the secondworst result in our history
‘Keir’s a bright guy... he knows it’s over’
to the secondbest result in our history in one five-year period.”
Sir Keir warned Labour staffers on
Friday to avoid “plunging our party and our country into chaos by turning on each other and tearing apart our party and our movement”.
It is reported his war chest for a leadership campaign is now in six figures.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir and allies have urged colleagues to focus on the July 30 election of a successor to Mr Burnham as Mayor of Greater Manchester.
The Greens have unveiled Geraldine Coggins as their candidate. The party will hope to repeat its success in the Gorton and Denton by-election, when activist and plumber Hannah Spencer won the seat.
They have pledged to “throw the kitchen sink” at the Manchester campaign after winning a mere 308 votes in Makerfield. sold to the highest bidder – and that supply lines could be cut off in wartime.
Former Labour leader Sir Tony Blair last month called for radical change so Britain makes use of remaining oil and gas resources and prioritises “cheaper energy and electrification” over the drive to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.
Last night, Labour said: “Kemi Badenoch’s Conservative Party left families with rocketing energy bills – and they completely failed to deliver energy security across 14 years in power.
“Her own Shadow Energy Secretary admitted that new licences in the North Sea would not take a penny off bills.
“Labour is investing in home-grown clean power to bring down bills for good.
“We won’t take any lectures from a Tory party that left Britain more exposed to energy shocks, which left working people paying a heavy price.”