11 h. ago Nuclear security agency begins furloughing workers as part of shutdown, energy secretary says

Furloughs have begun at the federal agency tasked with overseeing the U.S. nuclear stockpile

Events

28 h. ago Ed Miliband raises hopes that VAT on energy bills will be scrapped in the Chancellor's autumn Budget

The Energy Secretary said that while he would not speculate ahead of the Chancellor's budget next month, the Government understands that 'we face an affordability crisis'.

Economics

40 h. ago Ed Miliband denies his Net Zero policies are keeping Brits' energy costs high

The Energy Secretary insisted it was 'not correct' to suggest Labour's bid for a decarbonised electricity grid was increasing the burden on families.

Events

41 h. ago Miliband says ‘we must never have no go zones’ for Jews and Israelis in the UK amid Aston Villa row

The energy secretary has intervened amid the continuing row over West Midlands Police banning Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the Europa League match at Villa Park

Politics

50 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Repairs begin in bid to restore power to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

UN watchdog says Russia and Ukraine have established special ceasefire zones to allow the repairs to be safely carried out. What we know on day 1,334Work has started to repair damaged power lines leading to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after a lengthy outage, the UN’s nuclear watchdog said on Saturday. The site, occupied by Russian forces since March 2022, lost its connection to the grid on 23 September for the 10th time – the longest outage of external power supply to the facility since Russia invaded Ukraine.The repairs to the off-site power lines began after Russian and Ukrainian forces established “local ceasefire zones to allow work to proceed”, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a post on X. “Both sides engaged constructively with the IAEA to enable the complex repair plan to proceed,” Grossi said. “Restoration of off-site power is crucial for nuclear safety and security.” The agency said it expected the work to take about...

Events

52 h. ago Government aims to create 400,000 jobs through UK national green energy plan

Scheme will offer training for plumbers, welders and carpenters as well as promoting trade union recognitionPlumbers, electricians and welders will be in huge demand as part of a national plan to train people for an extra 400,000 green jobs in the next five years, Ed Miliband has said.The energy secretary revealed a new scheme to double those working in green industries by 2030, with a particular focus on training those coming from fossil fuel jobs, school leavers, the unemployed, veterans and ex-offenders. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago UK ministers met fossil fuel lobbyists 500 times in first year of power, analysis shows

Lobbyists attended 48% more meetings than Tories, as Labour accused of giving them ‘backstage pass’ UK politics live – latest updatesGovernment ministers met representatives from the fossil fuel industry more than 500 times during their first year in power – equivalent to twice every working day, according to new research.The analysis found that fossil fuel lobbyists were present at 48% more ministerial meetings during Labour’s first year in power than under the Conservatives in 2023.Ministers at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) met fossil fuel lobbyists 274 times, with industry figures present at almost a quarter of meetings.Ed Miliband, the secretary for energy and climate change, met fossil fuel lobbyists 250 times – with a third of all his meetings attended by industry figures.During the same period DESNZ ministers met trade union representatives 61 timesThree fossil fuel companies: BP, Shell and Equinor , met ministers 100 times between them.Fossil fuel l...

Politics

4 d. ago Labour ministers met fossil fuel lobbyists 500 times in first year of power, analysis shows

Lobbyists attended 48% more meetings than Tories, as Labour accused of giving them ‘backstage pass’ UK politics live – latest updatesGovernment ministers met representatives from the fossil fuel industry more than 500 times during their first year in power – equivalent to twice every working day, according to research.The analysis found that fossil fuel lobbyists were present at 48% more ministerial meetings during Labour’s first year in power than under the Conservatives in 2023.Ministers at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) met fossil fuel lobbyists 274 times, with industry figures present at almost a quarter of meetings.During the same period DESNZ ministers met trade union representatives 61 times.Ed Miliband, the secretary for energy and climate change, met fossil fuel lobbyists 250 times – with a third of all his meetings attended by industry figures.Three fossil fuel companies: BP, Shell and Equinor, met ministers 100 times between them.Fossil fuel lobby...

Politics

9 d. ago Scotland’s north east ‘dangerously’ at risk of no just transition, says Martin

Scotland’s Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said she would be ‘damned’ if the deindustrialisation of the 1970-80s was repeated.

Events

1 week ago Furloughed federal workers in government shutdown aren’t owed back pay, Trump’s White House claims

‘The livelihoods of the patriotic Americans serving their country in the federal government are not bargaining chips in a political game,’ the American Federation of Government Employees national president said.

Politics

2 w. ago AP reader question: Is it legal to fire furloughed federal workers during a shutdown?

Here’s a question submitted by an Associated Press reader: Is it legal to fire furloughed federal workers during a shutdown

Events

2 w. ago Tory plan to scrap green energy measures called ‘contradictory nonsense’ by environment groups – UK politics live

Shadow energy secretary’s plans dismissed as ‘dead wrong’ by environment groupsMel Stride, the shadow chancellor, was doing an interview round for the Conservatives this morning, and Miatta Fahnbulleh, the faith and communities minister, was on the air on behalf of the government. They were both asked about the latest development in the flag phenomenon – the former footballer turned property developer Gary Neville saying that he took down a union flag flying at one of his building sites because he felt it was being used in a “negative fashion”.Asked if Neville (a Labour supporter) had a point, Fahnbulleh told ITV’s Good Morning Britain:I think he’s really right, that there are people who are trying to divide us at the moment I spent a lot of time going around our communities, talking to people. People are ground down. We’ve had a decade-and-a-half in which living standards haven’t budged and people have seen their communities held down. And you will get people trying to stoke divisi...

Politics

2 w. ago Axe Net Zero levies to slash £165 off energy bills for Brits, say Tories

Shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho has backed axing the carbon tax and abolishing the 'racket' of wind farm subsidies.

Economics

2 w. ago Tories vow to cut energy bills by 20% by scrapping carbon tax and wind subsidies

Shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho claimed these two policies will save the average family £165 a year.

Events

2 w. ago Make green great again: Can appeals to the wallet make climate policy an election

In this week’s newsletter: At a major gathering in New York, climate advocates say that language has to change• Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereAt stuffy United Nations press conferences, in swanky auditoriums and at sticky socialist dance parties, one word was on everyone’s lips at this year’s Climate Week NYC: affordability.The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, said under that under President Trump the United States is “returning to commonsense energy policies that focus on affordability”. The former energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, said Democrats must focus on renewable power’s ability to shrink power bills to win elections. And supporters of the almost certainly soon-to-be New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, trumpeted their efforts to link green policies with efforts to lower city residents’ rent and make transit affordable.Revealed: Europe losing 600 football pitches of nature and crop land a dayUK fracking ban to be brought forward as Labour ...

Politics

2 w. ago Kemi Badenoch is just ‘a Reform tribute act’, claims Ed Miliband as he lashes out at Tory climate policy

The energy secretary has written for The Independent condemning the Tory leader’s decision to ditch net zero policies

Events

2 w. ago Tories urge Michelle Mone to hand back peerage after PPE contract breach

Shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho described Baroness Michelle Mone’s actions as ‘disgraceful’.

Politics

2 w. ago Senior Tory calls for Baroness Mone to resign over PPE scandal

The shadow energy secretary said the peer’s behaviour was ‘disgraceful’, saying the ‘honourable thing to do’ would be to resign

Politics

2 w. ago UK fracking ban to be brought forward as Labour counters Reform promise

Ed Miliband announces government will speed up plans to ban controversial practice supported by Nigel FarageEd Miliband has announced that the government is to speed up its plans to permanently ban fracking in the UK, in order to counter the Reform party’s promises to bring back the controversial practice.The energy secretary said he would put forward legislation as part of the North Sea transition plan which is to be published this autumn. This means that in order to allow fracking, a future government would have to repeal the legislation with a parliamentary vote. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Kicking out SNP would let Labour create thousands of jobs in Scotland, says Ed Miliband

Energy Secretary attacks Scottish Government for failing to embrace nuclear power

Politics