Ed Miliband accused of 'impoverishing Britain' as Reform vows to slash £200 from energy bills

Binning VAT on energy bills is expected to take around £85 off the average bill, while ditching the green levy and carbon tax will cut a further £115.

In total, £200 is said to be cut from bills as a result of the plans, should Reform win the next election.

The Newark MP told reporters: "It's frankly outrageous that we live in a country where people are finding life so tough and yet Rachel Reeves is continuing to load people's energy bills with taxes.

"Enough is enough. People are sick of this."

He later doubled down on his scathing criticism of Mr Miliband and Labour's Net Zero plan.

"We have pursued the most extreme version of Net Zero," he said.

"Ed Miliband, supported by Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer, is determined to go even further. Impoverishing our country."

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: "Labour and the Conservatives have pursued a net zero agenda that has only led to skyrocketing energy bills for working people.

"Tax after tax has been added to bills without a second thought given to cost of living.

"Reform is today putting hard-working British people at the centre of everything we do."

The comments come just hours after Sir Keir insisted the UK will continue to focus on renewables.

"What gives us control is homegrown energy, which is why we should go further in relation to renewables," he said.

"Let’s get control of our own energy."

This was despite RenewableUK chief Tara Singh demanding it was "time to take energy out of the culture wars."

"Britain does not need the ongoing ideological argument about energy," she said. "It needs a practical one. We should back what works.

"And what works is more home-grown energy, with clean power leading the way."

The Chancellor said on Tuesday the country was in a better position at the beginning of the Iran war than it was ahead of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.

However, Sir Keir announced a £53million support package for households reliant on heating oil in Westminster this week, following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the conflict in Iran.

While welcoming the move, Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho said: "The uncomfortable truth is that this scheme will be funded by Labour’s tax rises on working people – tax hikes that wouldn’t be necessary if Ed Miliband hadn’t chosen to leave £25billion worth of tax revenue in the ground by shutting down the North Sea."

Despite this, Donald Trump told reporters it "won't be too long" before ships will be able to pass through the Strait.

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