Why has Labour briefed against Ed Miliband – is it his success and popularity?

Tories, Reform, fossil fuel industry and some in his party lined up against net zero agenda as energy secretary

“Whenever the Labour party feels a bit sad,” according to one close observer of the current government, speaking some months ago, “they wheel out Ed Miliband to talk about https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/13/labours-rooftop-revolution-to-deliver-solar-power-to-millions-of-uk-homes">rooftop solar.”

It might not have been literally true, but it often felt during Keir Starmer’s premiership as if energy secretary Miliband brought the sun.

Unfailingly upbeat, with a simple message that was understandable to voters, he had a clear mission – to https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/22/starmer-strong-green-record-rightwing-backlash-weakened-plans">decarbonise the UK’s power sector by 2030 – that was seen to be progressing fast.