'A fantastic day': Former Labour leader Ed Miliband makes a return to Cabinet

Ed Miliband arrives at Downing Street on Friday. Credit: AP

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has been appointed Secretary of Energy Security and Net Zero, returning to Government in essentially the role he held 14 years ago.

The MP for Doncaster North said it was a "fantastic day" as he arrived at Downing Street on Friday afternoon after holding onto his seat with a defiant majority.

Labour has put clean energy as one of its central missions for government, in a bid to end high bills “for good”, creating a clear dividing line with the Tories who had rowed back on commitments to shift the country to net zero emissions.

The 54-year-old said it was a "fantastic day". Credit: AP

Miliband is now tasked with delivering on the manifesto pledges to establish a publicly owned Great British Energy company, with £8.3 billion to invest in clean energy, halt new oil and gas licences and deliver a “green prosperity plan” to create 650,000 jobs, cut bills and shift the UK to a clean economy.

With his new position, the former Labour leader comes full circle to his last Cabinet role, where he was appointed in 2008 by then prime minister Gordon Brown to be energy and climate change secretary shortly before the world-leading Climate Change Act became law.

Miliband now faces the challenge of delivering the clean energy pledge by 2030 and advancing key emissions-cutting initiatives, despite Labour reducing its proposed £28 billion annual climate action budget.

But for some, Miliband's appointment to the prime minister's cabinet will come as a surprise, given his defeat by David Cameron's Tory party in the 2015 general election, where the Tories received a minor 12-seat majority while Labour was virtually wiped out in Scotland by the SNP.

Ed Miliband as Labour leader in 2015. Credit: PA

After losing the 2015 election, Miliband was replaced by Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader.

He supported Remain in the Brexit referendum and initially backed Corbyn's leadership before calling for his resignation in 2016.

Industry body RenewableUK’s chief executive Dan McGrail said Labour should take steps in the coming weeks to make it clear they intend to deliver on their clean energy mission.

“Most notably, lifting the effective ban on onshore wind in England and increasing the budget for this year’s contracts for difference auction to enable new wind, solar and tidal clean energy projects to go ahead," he said .

“By increasing the budget as one of its first key actions in office, the new government can make a crucial intervention to unlock billions of pounds of investment in renewable energy projects, lowering bills for consumers, enhancing our energy security, and boosting UK supply chains and high-quality jobs across the country."

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