Ed Miliband has gone too far even by his own standards, leaving Keir Starmer with a monumental decision. The former Labour leader, now energy secretary, is acting as if he runs the party, and many believe he may be right. Harvey Jones reports on the deepening crisis within the Labour government.
Miliband's Radical Agenda
British voters were wise to reject Ed Miliband in 2015, as his recent behaviour proves he would have been a disaster as prime minister. Over the past two years, Labour activists have celebrated his radicalism, but his actions in high office have raised serious concerns. He has been paying wind farm operators to generate unusable electricity, covering fertile farmland with solar panels, and banning new North Sea drilling. Critics argue that his stance against domestic oil and gas is hypocritical, as the UK continues to buy jet fuel and diesel from Vladimir Putin.
Defying Starmer and Cabinet
Miliband is so convinced of his own righteousness that he refuses to listen to anyone, including his own boss. Last year, Starmer attempted to sack him as energy secretary, but Miliband refused to leave. Chancellor Rachel Reeves attacked his North Sea ban, but he ignored her. Industry experts like EDF Energy have urged him to pause wind and solar expansion because the grid cannot handle the energy, but he remains unmoved. Now, Miliband has escalated the conflict by ghosting Starmer, refusing to take calls or respond to messages.
A Coup in the Making
Starmer could not remove Miliband, but now Miliband is plotting to remove Starmer. He is a close ally of leadership challenger Andy Burnham, who is expected to win tomorrow's Makerfield by-election and then launch an immediate coup against the prime minister. Miliband has already urged Starmer to set a timetable for the transition of power, a move that infuriated the PM. Now, by ghosting him, Miliband has gone even further.
Starmer's Dilemma
Miliband's popularity within the party is his greatest strength. When Starmer tried to cut Miliband's net zero spending to boost the defence budget, he refused. Starmer braced for Miliband's resignation, but was astonished when defence secretary John Healey quit instead. Now, Starmer is terrified that Miliband will resign and trigger another cabinet crisis. If Starmer wants to retain any authority, he must show Miliband who is boss. But deep down, the PM knows the truth: it is not him. It is Ed.
