Sir Keir Starmer is coming under increasing pressure from his own ministers to U-turn on Labour's net zero policy and its stance on North Sea drilling.
The Prime Minister has been warned about his repeated claims that new oil and gas drilling would "not take a penny off" people's bills.
A report published earlier this week claimed Britain risks accelerating the decline of the oil and gas industry despite overwhelming industry belief that the basin could still have a long-term future.
The 43rd Energy Transition report said confidence in the fossil fuel industry is weak due to financial instability, planning delays, transmission charging and slow project consenting, rather than a lack of opportunity or capability in the sector.
A Whitehall source told The Times: "People keep saying that it 'won't take a penny off bills'. But if it improves your balance of payments, it helps your currency, potentially letting you get money for all sorts of goods. Even small changes make a difference at scale. It might get us a few more solar panels and batteries for the same price too."
Another added: "There's a growing feeling that we've boxed ourselves in with a line that's technically true but politically useless."
Fingers were also pointed at Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, with the former Labour leader's criticism of the Prime Minister potentially threatening the Government's green agenda.
One source said: "Usually Ed would have the Prime Minister's ear on this stuff. But since the betrayal on leadership, other arguments are now being heard."
Mr Miliband had called on the Prime Minister to resign and is understood to be backing Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Sir Tony Blair also told Sir Keir Starmer to rip up net zero targets and reduce the welfare budget, which the former Prime Minister said risks outpacing defence spending by the end of the decade.
A spokesman from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: "The Government is implementing the manifesto commitment to deliver fair and balanced transition in the North Sea, managing existing fields for the entirety of its lifespan and not granting new exploration licences because they will not support our energy security and will not take a penny off bills."
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Former Labour health secretary rejects 'snowflake generation' accusation
A former Labour Health Secretary has rejected criticism of younger people as he dismissed the "snowflake generation" accusations levied at young people.
The number of young people neither working nor learning could reach 1.25 million within the next five years, a review by Alan Milburn has found.
He told GB News: "I've been around public policy for a long time but I have never known an issue more visceral than this with the public."
"When you go round the country and talk to people it is more than a concern, it is a fear as to what the next generation is facing. We used to have an unwritten social contract that each generation would do better than the last. That contract is now broken.
"I know people will say 'snowflake generation', that they aren't resilient or not trying.
"I go around the country and talk to young people who are putting in hundreds of job applications, never getting the response and it is the silence that kills."
Green candidate in Makerfield by-election wants British farming to be 'decolonised' with 'inclusive spaces'
Ms Wakefield, a mother of two, serves as executive director of environmental charity Eating Better | GREEN PARTYA charity run by the Green Party’s candidate for the upcoming Makerfield by-election has called for British farming to be "decolonised" through the creation of more "inclusive spaces" within the agricultural sector.
Zack Polanski’s party unveiled 38-year-old Sarah Wakefield as its candidate for the key by-election on Tuesday.
Ms Wakefield, a mother of two, serves as executive director of environmental charity Eating Better.
She had previously sought selection for the Green Party in Gorton and Denton earlier this year before losing out to Hannah Spencer, who later became the party’s fifth MP.
Andy Burnham insists he 'acted immediately' over grooming gangs scandal
Andy Burnham has insisted he “acted immediately” on the issue of grooming gangs, as he criticised others for manipulating the facts.
The Greater Manchester mayor said he had looked towards the issue, while "lots of other politicians, in fact the vast majority, were just looking in the other direction."
In a video posted on social, Mr Burnham claimed he "initiated the biggest review into this issue that the country has seen".
He said: "I have got a really clear story that I want to get over, because sometimes people play politics with this issue and manipulate the facts.
"I want to tell you directly what I did. Within days of coming in as mayor, we’d seen the BBC programme The Three Girls, and I acted immediately on it.
"Particularly after I’d heard an interview with Maggie Oliver about a police investigation in Manchester, Operation Augusta, which had been closed down. I initiated the biggest review into this issue that the country has seen.
"That was when I was looking towards the issue, but lots of other politicians, in fact the vast majority, were just looking in the other direction.
"That review into Manchester, but with subsequent reviews into Oldham and Rochdale, and the wide-ranging review has led to major police investigations being reopened. It has led to arrests, charges, and convictions of perpetrators who would otherwise have walked free.
"Now those are the facts. You can look them up, that’s what I did, and I am happy to account on every doorstep.£
Senior Conservative warns Labour has 'totally failed' to reform welfare
Helen Whately has accused Labour of "totally failing" to reform welfare.
The Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary told GB News: "You've now got a generation of young people who are much less likely to have work experience. Yes they do need more support but they also need access to jobs.
"The other side of the coin is while they are making it harder for young people to get into work, they're also doing nothing to reform welfare. The benefits system is actually more generous than many of the job opportunities.
"It's harder to get a job but easier to get on welfare and the Government should be doing something but they have totally failed."
Andy Burnham declares Tony Blair 'does not understand' people’s lives today in swipe at ex-PM
Andy Burnham is currently Greater Manchester Mayor | PAAndy Burnham has accused Sir Tony Blair of failing to understand the pressures facing ordinary Britons as the pair clash over Labour’s future.
The Greater Manchester Mayor, launched the attack after the former Prime Minister published a lengthy essay warning Labour against lurching to the left on taxation, welfare and public spending.
Sir Tony argued the party risked slipping into the political "relegation zone" and accused Sir Keir Starmer of retreating into a left-wing "comfort zone".
The former Prime Minister also took aim at Mr Burnham ahead of the Makerfield by-election, with the Greater Manchester Mayor widely expected to launch a leadership challenge if he returns to Westminster.
Labour chair urges Nigel Farage to come forward over £5million donation
Labour’s chairwoman has written to Nigel Farage, urging him to say which authorities are looking into an alleged Russian hack behind the disclosure of a £5million gift he received.
Anna Turley challenged Mr Farage to publicly confirm he reported the suspected attack to either the police or the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
She said if the MP for Clacton, Essex, failed to respond, the Labour Party would make a report itself “in the public and national interest”.
A Reform UK spokesperson said: "It has been reported to the relevant authorities. It would be inappropriate to comment further while investigations are ongoing."
Mr Farage received £5million from Thailand-based crypto-entrepreneur Christopher Harborne in 2024, before he stood in the general election that year.
He has previously said the money was for non-political purposes, to pay for his safety and security, and later told The Sun it was a "reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years".
Zack Polanski claims there is a 'smear campaign' against him
Green Party leader Zack Polanski hit out at media organisations
| GETTYZack Polanski has claimed there is a "smear campaign" against him as he claimed the scrutiny he faces from the media is "incredibly disproportionate".
Mr Polanski told Sky News: "I think I can say very clearly that if you compare the scrutiny that I receive compared to what Reform receives, it's incredibly disproportionate.
He continued: "We do know that there's an agenda here with media organisations, not all media organisations, but I'm a politician that wants to tax multi-millionaires and billionaires.
"I want to challenge wealth and power in this country. And some media organisations hold that wealth and power."
Youth joblessness will rise for lost generation without urgent action warns new review
The number of young people neither working nor learning could reach 1.25 million within the next five years, a review by an ex-Labour Health Secretary will warn amid fears of a “lost generation”.
Its author Alan Milburn is expected to say the first rung of the career ladder is “simply out of reach” for many young people and conclude it is not this group’s fault but rather "failure of a system stuck in the past".
While currently around one in eight people aged 16 to 24 in the UK are not in education, employment or training (Neet), this could rise to one in six young people by 2031, representing 1.25 million young lives, the review will say.
Mr Milburn, who is leading the review of the Neets crisis for the Government, will publish his interim report on Thursday.
The former Labour Cabinet minister has already spoken about some of his findings, warning at the weekend of a "bedroom generation" and saying anxiety linked to social media is driving economic inactivity among young people.