Miliband Pitches 400,000 Green Jobs Amid Union Backlash

Ed Miliband accused Nigel Farage, Reform UK and a “global network of right‑wing billionaires” of waging a culture war against net zero and used a conference speech to pitch an expanded clean‑energy agenda — including solar panels for schools and hospitals, a Fair Work Charter, accelerated unionisation and a pledge to create 400,000 green jobs by 2030. He framed the transition as both a jobs and climate mission and said defeating Reform/Tory attacks on net zero is central to Labour's political strategy. Senior union leaders, notably Unite’s Sharon Graham and GMB’s Gary Smith, have fiercely criticised Labour’s approach as a “disaster zone,” arguing it has failed to build replacement industries for oil and gas and will cost thousands of jobs (they cite as many as 30,000 by 2030). Unions warned that measures such as limits on new North Sea licences and rapid electrification of heating would be impractical and damage existing high‑paid, unionised oil and gas roles, and some critics have accused Miliband’s team of hypocrisy over domestic flights. The row has fuelled internal tensions and raises political risks for Labour ahead of next year’s Scottish elections.