Former armed forces minister Al Carns has taken aim at Energy Secretary Ed Miliband over the Government’s approach to Net Zero, energy planning and investment.
Mr Carns, who stepped down from the frontbench on Thursday, indicated he would support expanding North Sea drilling to strengthen Britain’s energy independence.
Writing in The Telegraph, the Selly Oak MP argued that energy should be viewed primarily as a national security issue rather than an environmental one.
He wrote: “Britain imports more than 40 per cent of its energy. Our energy policy was built for a different era.
“North Sea oil and gas, small modular reactors, energy storage and renewables all have a role to play in reducing our exposure.
“A serious country would be pursuing every one of those options. We aren’t, and we’re paying the price for that.”
His remarks appear to be a thinly veiled criticism of Mr Miliband’s Net Zero agenda. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has repeatedly resisted calls to approve additional oil and gas licences in the North Sea.
Last year, the Labour Government introduced a temporary ban on new North Sea drilling licences as part of its Net Zero strategy, a policy strongly championed by Mr Miliband.
Questions over Britain’s energy security have intensified after global oil prices surged when Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz in response to military action involving the United States and Israel.
The spike pushed fuel costs higher, with UK motorists facing increases of up to 40p per litre for petrol and diesel.
Mr Carns warned that “the British Government still behaves as though the world of 2026 is the world of 2010”.
His comments add to growing pressure on Sir Keir Starmer’s Government to reopen the door to further North Sea exploration, with calls also coming from US President Donald Trump.
The former minister also raised concerns about Britain’s dependence on overseas energy supply chains.
He said: “We rely on supply chains we do not control. The critical minerals needed for advanced technologies pass through countries whose interests do not always align with our own.”
A similar warning was issued by US energy strategist Christopher Johnson, who argued that Britain’s Net Zero policies risk increasing dependence on China.
Speaking to GB News, he said an overreliance on renewables could deepen economic ties with China while weakening links with the United States, potentially creating major geopolitical problems in the future.
Mr Carns also criticised the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan, arguing that it falls short of meeting the challenges facing the country.
He blamed the Treasury for limiting defence spending, accusing Rachel Reeves’ department of treating defence as an expense to be managed rather than a strategic necessity.
“The Defence Investment Plan is inadequate for the threats we face,” he said. “That figure was determined by the Treasury, not by an assessment of the threat itself.”
The plan was originally expected to be published last autumn but has yet to appear. Sir Keir Starmer told MPs on Wednesday that it would be released before the upcoming NATO summit in the coming weeks.
Earlier this week, the former colonel and Military Cross recipient refused to rule out entering a future Labour leadership contest.
Asked by GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope whether he would stand, Mr Carns replied: “Throughout my career, I’ve always believed in service.
“I’ll always put the country first. I’ve always said you should run towards the sound of gunfire, because that’s where the crisis is and where the right people are needed most.
“So I’ll always do what I can to help.”
