Ed Miliband branded 'deluded' as Labour expected to BAN all new North Sea oil licences

It also vowed it would ban fracking “for good”. The moves were part of a plan to “Make Britain a Clean Energy Superpower”.

Announcing the bill in Parliament, King Charles revealed how the Government intends to double down on renewable energy. He said: “Energy independence must be a long-term goal of national security, and the nation’s energy security requires long-term investment and reform – as demonstrated by recent events in the Middle East.

“Increased production of clean British energy will help to ensure that enemies of the United Kingdom cannot attack the economic security of the British people. My ministers will therefore introduce an energy independence bill to scale up homegrown renewable energy and protect living standards for the long term.”

Briefing notes about the speech confirmed the Government intended to “show climate leadership by meeting the manifesto commitment not to issue new licences to explore new fields, including delivering the commitment to ban fracking”. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said after the news: “The leadership contest hasn’t even started and Ed Miliband is already running the Government.”

Mr Miliband said the bill would help him deliver his clean power “mission”. He said: “After the second fossil fuel crisis in half a decade, our clean power mission is the only way to bring down bills for good and take back control of our energy.

“The Energy Independence Bill is the next step in delivering on our mission – giving us the power we need to drive forward with clean power to cut bills, support families out of fuel poverty and deliver well-paid, secure jobs for a generation of young people.”

In its 2024 manifesto, Labour promised "we will not issue new licences to explore new fields because they will not take a penny off bills, cannot make us energy secure and will only accelerate the worsening climate crisis". Nevertheless, shadow energy secretary Clair Coutinho vowed to fight the proposals “every step of the way”.

Ms Coutinho said any North Sea ban would represent the “willful destruction” of national energy supplies and jobs that depend on the industry. She said: “Ed Miliband is deluded.

“In what world does shutting down the North Sea make us more independent? His ban on North Sea oil and gas licences is the willful destruction of our own domestic energy supplies and people’s livelihoods.

“He is not making us more independent. He is making us more reliant on foreign imports... It is utterly shameful and we Conservatives will fight them every step of the way.”

Russell Findlay, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: "Labour's crazy decision to double down to block new drilling is a kick in the teeth for Scotland's proud oil and gas workers. Driven by completely unrealistic net zero targets, they are happy to kill off the industry no matter how many jobs are lost or how much it will force up people's energy bills."

Harriet Cross, the Tory MP for Gordon and Buchan, has previously accused Mr Miliband of “eco-zealotry”. She said today’s announcement suggested Mr Miliband had taken the reins of power from beleaguered Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

She said: “The Government are deluded. Their Energy Independence Bill doubles down on banning new oil and gas licences.

“Banning licences doesn’t reduce demand, it only increases our reliance on imports. Looks like Miliband is already at the helm.”

Richard Tice, Reform’s trade and energy spokesman, condemned the move. He said: “This is shocking negligence and proves this Labour government is anti-jobs, anti-growth and wants higher bills.”

However, Tessa Khan, whose Uplift campaign group calls for an end to fossil fuels, welcomed the announcement. She said: “Spending tens of billions propping up a broken fossil fuel system is clearly not the answer, nor is more drilling when we know it won’t lower bills and the UK has already burned through most of its gas reserves.

“Instead, ministers must urgently scale up support for households to switch to clean energy, as well as accelerating reforms to ensure they feel the savings and directly supporting the most vulnerable.”

The bill aims to get the UK off the “fossil fuel rollercoaster” with clean, homegrown power and electrification of the wider economy, officials said. It includes measures to cut energy bills, require landlords to invest in home upgrades, pave the way to create a dedicated “warm homes agency” to deliver a £15billion programme of home electrification and provide for targeted support for vulnerable and low-income families.

It also contains measures to reform markets and regulation to speed up the deployment of technologies such as offshore wind and hydrogen, and reduce “unnecessary delays” to build the grid infrastructure needed to roll out more clean power. Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, urged ministers to make the energy bill “the centrepiece of its domestic agenda after the King’s Speech”.

Mr Francis said it needed to protect the lowest-income households and give more support for measures, including heat pumps and solar panels. It should work to stop electricity prices being set by the wholesale gas market, he said.

He said: “It must also complete the break between gas prices and electricity bills, move levies off bills and onto general taxation and put financing of network upgrades on the table for discussion. The prize is an energy system that is cheaper, cleaner, fairer and more secure.

"But we will only reach this prize if the Government matches its ambition to the moment.”

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