Dishonest’ Ed Miliband Walks Out of Commons as Furious MPs Accuse Him of Damaging Scandals (Video)
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband left the House of Commons today as MPs fiercely criticised the government’s energy policies, blaming them for the growing crisis in Britain’s steel industry.
During a heated debate, Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh said workers at Scunthorpe’s steelworks were being badly let down by unrealistic green energy rules and rising costs. He said it was “dishonest” for the government to pretend that it is better for the environment to ship coke halfway across the world instead of using supplies from nearby sources in the UK.
Sir Edward highlighted that energy prices for British steelmakers are now almost twice as high as those paid by companies in South Korea and the United States. He warned that such high costs are making it impossible for UK steel companies to compete fairly with overseas firms.
“No one is more responsible for this than the Energy Secretary and the Prime Minister who appointed him,” Sir Edward told the Commons. “We need to stop these green energy costs and get realistic. Otherwise, we will keep coming back month after month, year after year, watching British industry fall apart.”
As the criticism intensified, Ed Miliband was seen leaving the chamber. His departure sparked more anger, with some MPs accusing him of walking away from the serious concerns being raised about thousands of jobs and Britain’s future as a steelmaking nation.
Sir Edward also suggested that if things do not improve, the government may be forced to take parts of the steel industry into public ownership to save jobs and protect the UK’s ability to produce its own steel.
The debate comes just days after the government announced that it was stepping in to take temporary control of British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant. This move followed the decision by Chinese owners Jingye Group not to provide the extra funding needed to keep operations running. About 3,000 jobs are at risk if the plant shuts down.
The government has said it wants to keep the UK’s steel production alive but insists it must also stick to its Net Zero climate goals. Ministers have promised that they are working on ways to make energy prices fairer for industries while still moving towards cleaner energy in the long term.
However, many MPs and industry experts argue that high energy costs, tough competition from overseas, and years of political inaction have put British steel in a very difficult position.
Some workers in Scunthorpe have expressed fears for their futures, saying that losing the steelworks would devastate the local economy. Trade unions have also called for urgent investment to help modernise the plant and make it greener without forcing it to close.
Critics say that while protecting the environment is important, the government must find a better balance between green goals and saving British jobs.
