Dozens of Labour MPs are now calling on Keir Starmer to sack 'bat-s**t crazy' Ed Miliband at the rumoured forthcoming Cabinet reshuffle. Anger at the Energy Secretary's refusal to allow licences for new oil drilling in the North Sea has surged among MPs in recent weeks in the wake of soaring energy bills following the Iran war.
One leading rebel claimed that dozens now believe that the Prime Minister should ditch the top Cabinet minister to prove to voters that the government is willing to prioritise the cost of living crisis instead of 'obsessing' over ideological campaigns. According to a furious senior MP, the swelling clarion call now includes ministers, who are saying 'we can't do what we need to do if Ed keeps carrying on like this'.
'Keir knows. The question is whether he's strong enough to move him, or at least get him to tone down his approach,' the MP said. Another blasted: 'Colleagues can't stand him. They think he's bat-s**t crazy.' A third explained that they are on a mission to prove to Sir Keir that the Parliamentary Labour Party 'is not the Miliverse', after Sir Keir reportedly bottled moving Mr Miliband out of the Net Zero department at the last reshuffle.
At the time No. 10 caved after becoming convinced that the former Labour leader was too popular to sack from the brief. Ed Miliband is facing calls from dozens of his Labour MP colleagues to get the chop. Mr Miliband has refused to U-turn over the government's ban on new North Sea Oil drilling, despite the surge in energy costs following the Iran war.
The MP added: 'He does not have the soft left sewn up… Miliband thinks he can walk a leadership election and get the 80 MPs required. But opposition is from across the spectrum – from left to centre – and Scottish Labour MPs particularly.'
Mr Miliband's tenure as Net Zero secretary has brought devastation to Scotland's oil and drilling sector, with official figures this week revealing that around 4,000 jobs have gone since Labour came to power. Why is Ed Miliband blocking new drilling? The Labour government banned new licences for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea after winning power. Critics say that even though oil and gas prices are decided on the global market, allowing domestic production could rake in billions in tax revenue for the Treasury, which could then be used to subsidise voters' bills. But Ed Miliband has insisted that the solution to volatile energy bills is 'home-grown, clean power' from renewable sources. Despite his insistence that allowing new drilling would be wrong, there remains speculation that he may give the go-ahead to new drilling, with the government failing to rule it out.
The anger among MPs is a blow to Mr Miliband, who has been campaigning behind the scenes to replace Rachel Reeves as Chancellor in the next reshuffle, expected after Labour's local elections drubbing next Thursday. Reshuffle rumours resumed this week, with reports that Sir Keir's top team are split down the middle about whether to hold one immediately after the local elections. Ms Reeves' job remains on the line, as do those of the Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.
A Red Wall MP added that Sir Keir must remove Mr Miliband as part of a 'bold' reshuffle to reassert his authority next week. They argued: 'My constituents don't have a problem with wind farms and solar if it means jobs and more secure energy. But they don't understand why we're shutting down the North Sea when we need it - Miliband makes us look like obsessives.' The PM tried to move him at the last reshuffle. Some people say he's too weak to do it now but I wouldn't rule it out. We need to be bolder and we need to show we are in touch with ordinary people's concerns, not obsessing about causes. Sacking Miliband would be a good start.'
Reports this week suggested that Sir Keir has now told allies that he does not want to do a reshuffle due to fears it will be yet another 'distraction' from the work of government. But his political director Amy Richards, and Chief Whip Darren Jones, are both said to be pushing for a reset of his Cabinet in order to bring in key figures on the soft left of the party to shore up his position.
A Downing Street spokesman said: 'We don't comment on reshuffle speculation and the PM has full confidence in all his ministers.' A Labour source added: 'We're proud to be delivering our manifesto of a fair and balanced transition in the North Sea.'
