Miliband slams Farage UK net zero lies, branding Reform UK’s leader a peddler of “nonsense and lies” for claiming that the country’s net zero climate targets are destroying British industry. In a blistering rebuttal ahead of the May local elections, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband condemned both Nigel Farage and the Conservatives for scapegoating clean energy to score political points amid the British Steel crisis.
Speaking through a column in The Observer, Miliband pointed to high fossil fuel dependence and foreign energy market volatility as the real culprits behind soaring costs, not renewable energy investments. He described Farage’s call for increased drilling in the North Sea as a “dangerous fantasy,” echoing warnings from experts who note that the UK’s reserves are fast depleting and mostly exported.
“The cost of living impacts caused by fossil fuel volatility still stalk families today,” Miliband wrote. “Breaking free from overseas supplies is not just climate policy — it’s national security.”
Farage’s Energy Rhetoric Under Fire
Nigel Farage has intensified his anti-net zero campaign, touring ten counties while blaming clean energy policy for job losses and proposing a radical energy agenda that includes nationalising British Steel and boosting domestic oil and gas production.
At a Durham rally, he claimed, “We should be absolutely self-sufficient in gas,” and vowed to “reindustrialise Britain” through fossil fuel independence.
But experts and climate groups say these claims are misleading. Tessa Khan, head of the climate action group Uplift, called Farage’s plan “a Trump-inspired delusion,” stating that North Sea reserves are aging, costly, and insufficient for energy self-sufficiency.
“Most of what remains is oil, 80% of which is exported. It’s not a solution — it’s a distraction,” said Khan.
Public Backing for Net Zero
Despite attacks from the right, net zero remains a widely supported policy. Polling shows voters across the UK view renewable energy as key to energy security, job creation, and affordability. Pollster Luke Tryl from More in Common noted that while Reform UK has gained traction with disaffected voters, its anti-climate stance could be a major “Achilles heel.”
“Even Reform voters aren’t deeply motivated by net zero opposition,” Tryl said. “Climate concern runs deep across the electorate.”
Labour’s Green Offensive
Labour is seizing the moment, doubling down on its green energy vision. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to highlight the UK’s clean energy future at an upcoming International Energy Agency conference, attended by both pro-renewables and fossil-fuel-aligned delegations, including from Trump’s U.S. administration.
Central to Labour’s strategy is Great British Energy (GBE), its flagship publicly-owned clean energy venture. The party is also campaigning to install solar panels on 200 schools and 200 hospitals, a plan that insiders say is highly popular among voters.
A Labour source summed it up:
“Farage and Badenoch want us dependent on Putin’s markets. We’ll make the national security case for climate action.”
As Miliband slams Farage UK net zero lies, the battle over Britain’s energy future is becoming a defining issue in the run-up to the 2025 local elections — and potentially a litmus test for the next general election.
