Labour’s shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband has once again been accused of being in hiding, ahead of a big day for his party discussing energy security.
Sir Keir Starmer will visit North Wales later today to pledge labour will “take back control” of Britain’s energy security, in order to “get Putin’s boot off our throat”.
The Labour leader is also expected to announce that his party’s plans for “Great British Energy”, a state-owned energy firm – will invest in floating offshore wind in Wales.
Despite the green and energy-focussed announcement, shadow Wales minister Jo Stevens was put up to do Labour’s morning media round today, despite Ed Miliband being his party’s spokesman for all things climate change and Net Zero.
Amid accusations that the former Labour leader is being kept away from public interviews, Today presenter Justin Webb tackled Ms Stevens over his whereabouts.
Ms Stevens said Mr Miliband will be in North Wales with her, Sir Keir and the new First Minister Vaughan Gething later.
However the Today Presenter made a rare intervention by asking Ms Stevens: “If you see him, tell him we’d like to talk to him too at some stage – convenient to him”.
Following the interview, fellow presenter Nick Robinson asked: “You’re not suggesting, Justin, that he might be avoiding you?”
Mr Webb replied: “I’m suggesting nothing, I’m just putting it out there”, amid chuckling from his co-host.
The renewed allegation that Mr Miliband is in hiding comes a month after the Tories accused him of going missing in action after Labour ditched his flagship £28billion green investment plan.
Tory HQ even launched a website, Where’s Ed?, tracking the 141 days since Mr Miliband had last been seen.
According to the Conservatives, Mr Miliband hadn’t done a media interview since September 21st.
Mr Miliband has also become notorious for refusing to attend Prime Minister’s Questions, which Labour insiders have put down to him being ‘traumatised’ by his weekly battering at the hands of David Cameron.
According to media reports, Mr Miliband was deeply unhappy with Labour’s recent U-turn over the much-hyped £28billion green policy, arguing against the planned move in private meetings before being overruled.
In February, Sir Keir insisted that his Shadow Net Zero Secretary was “fully signed up” to the change in policy.
In a subsequent interview with Channel 4, Mr Miliband said he “absolutely” didn’t consider resigning over Labour’s major policy U-turn.
