Ailbhe Rea: Rosebank Is No Bed of Roses for Miliband
Rosebank has become a battleground for environmental groups. Photographer: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Ed Miliband, the UK energy secretary, has been on the airwaves this morning for his second day on the trot of big announcements. Yesterday he was outlining the government’s plans to build more nuclear plants, today he was mandating landlords to meet a minimum energy performance standard on their rental properties by 2030. Doing the media round and being given “grid” announcements are a sign of confidence from Number 10. But behind the scenes, Miliband finds himself in a fight he didn’t pick.
As Rachel Reeves goes “further and faster” in her pursuit of economic growth, including with her announcement of a third runway at Heathrow, it is Miliband who is facing some of the toughest choices. As the cabinet’s green conscience, he needs to decide what to go along with, what to push back on, what to say publicly, and how to keep the government committed to the climate cause.