Labour's Net Zero zealots will keep 'clapping until the lights go out', Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho warns - as she accuses Ed Miliband of hiding from scrutiny

Labour's 'ideological' approach to Net Zero will see them 'clapping as the lights go out in Britain', the Energy Secretary said yesterday.

Claire Coutinho said Labour's race to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 would push up bills and risk energy blackouts.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, she suggested shadow energy spokesman Ed Miliband had been 'locked in a cupboard' during the election campaign to prevent scrutiny of his agenda.

And she warned that his plan to ban new exploration in the North Sea would jeopardise energy security and cost jobs – and end up having to be reversed.

Ms Coutinho, whose East Surrey constituency is where Sir Keir Starmer grew up, also urged former Tory voters flirting with Reform that they would get 'the exact opposite of what they are looking for' if they inadvertently help Labour secure a supermajority. 'I tell them to look at Keir's instincts,' she said.

'He was one of four people in the East Surrey Socialists and you can see those instincts in his fanatical approach to Net Zero – they'll be clapping as the lights go out in Britain.

'They can't say they'll protect women's spaces, they won't back higher defence spending, they believe that illegal immigrants are more deserving of our compassion than the hard-up taxpayers who have to pick up the bill and they want to tax the state pension because they believe what's yours is actually theirs.

'And if you dare to complain about any of it they'll call you a bigot or a flat-earther to try and shame you into silence. Ordinary people will end up paying the price for Keir's Left-wing ideals.'

Labour has watered down Mr Miliband's original pledge to borrow £28 billion a year to fund green initiatives and now says it will spend less than £25 billion over five years. But it has retained his goal to achieve 'clean power' by 2030.

The target is five years earlier than the Government's current goal and has been branded unachievable by many experts.

Ms Coutinho said the proposals would see the cost of achieving Net Zero 'explode' – and warned the plan would be 'a disaster for Britain'. 

'If they were confident in their plans for Britain's energy, they would put Ed Miliband up for media interviews, but where is he?' she said. 'Is he locked in a cupboard somewhere?

'Their energy proposals are clearly a disaster for Britain. They'll put hundreds of billions of pounds worth of investment into our energy sector at risk and their solution is less than £10 billion via GB Energy. 

'It won't even touch the sides of what we'll lose. They've admitted GB Energy won't produce any energy and I can tell you it definitely won't save you any money . . .

'Their plans will cost hundreds of billions of pounds and who is going to pay that? It's ordinary Brits. It is either higher taxes or higher bills but either way it's not what families who've been struggling for the last few years need.'

Ms Coutinho noted that Mr Miliband previously praised direct action group Extinction Rebellion for their 'fantastic success' and that Labour has taken £5 million in donations from eco-entrepreneur Dale Vince who previously backed Just Stop Oil.

Key union backers, such as Unite and the GMB, have criticised Labour's plan to ban new oil and gas licences.