Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has been dubbed a ‘hypocrite’ after refusing to reveal details concerning his domestic air travel.
Ministers asserted the Doncaster North MP would not reveal information regarding flights he had taken within the UK since he joined the cabinet last June.
Claire Coutinho, shadow energy secretary, said the refusal inferred there was ‘one rule’ for Miliband, and ‘another for everyone else’.
The Conservative MP previously urged Miliband to release details on his domestic UK flights since Labour’s loveless landslide in the last general election.
However, Michael Shanks said, on the Labour MPs behalf, that ‘details of internal domestic flights are not published.’
It comes as Labour significantly hiked air passenger duty, adding hundreds of pounds to British family holidays.
Ms Coutinho told The Telegraph: ‘As Ed Miliband sticks a holiday tax of up to £400 on a family of four, it does seem the height of hypocrisy that he won’t reveal his own flights, which are funded by the taxpayer.
‘People expect transparency and fairness from their politicians, but when it comes to the most stringent net zero costs, it’s one rule for him and another for everyone else.’
The Energy Secretary’s position does align with others in Westminster departments, which do not publish ‘granular’ details concerning ministers travel.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has been dubbed a ‘hypocrite’ after refusing to reveal details concerning his domestic air travel
Claire Coutinho, shadow energy secretary, said the refusal inferred there was ‘one rule’ for Miliband, and ‘another for everyone else’
The Government told the publication it was ‘the practice of successive administration’ including Conservatives, not to release details of ministers movements.
Mr Miliband, who heads the Government’s net zero policies, has previously been vocal regarding his opposition to domestic flights, urging Brits to cut down on them.
While he was Shadow Business Secretary, he called for the last Government to encourage Brits to travel by train and buses rather than taking to the skies.
When queried on if domestic flights he should be banned, he said they shouldn’t be banished ‘completely, but as much as we possible can.’
In 2021, he told the BBC: ‘Fairness and giving people alternatives is an absolutely key part of making this transition happen.’
Last April, it was revealed his department has spent £44,000 more than the Conservative ministers on domestic air travel between last July and December.
In his first half-a-year in office, the Energy Secretary also spent £62,712 on international travel, the Taxpayers’ Alliance reported.
His Conservative predecessor, Ms Coutinho spent £6,155 in her first six-months in the role, according to The Telegraph.
It comes after one of the government’s climate advisers was accused of ‘rank hypocrisy’ after they reportedly racked up 40,000 air miles in a year by jetting to environmental conferences
Nigel Topping is one of six members of the Climate Change Committee, which advises Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Mr Miliband, who heads the Government’s net zero policies, has previously been vocal regarding his opposition to domestic flights, urging Brits to cut down on them
Nigel Topping is one of six members of the Climate Change Committee, which advises Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, on reducing greenhouse gas emissions
In February, the committee backed a ‘frequent flier levy’ to help reach Net Zero. This would see Britons who take the most flights, or fly the furthest distances, taxed more
In February, the committee backed a ‘frequent flier levy’ to help reach Net Zero. This would see Britons who take the most flights, or fly the furthest distances, taxed more.
According to The Telegraph, Mr Topping attended conferences in Barbados, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the Netherlands and the US in the last 12 months.
An analysis by the newspaper claimed he accrued 11 times more air miles in the last year than the average Briton.
It also claimed that Mr Topping’s carbon footprint from flights alone was about 40 per cent more than the average Briton produces in total in a year.
Mr Miliband himself was also criticised after it was revealed he had notched up at least 44,600 air miles since he became Energy Secretary last July.
It meant he was responsible for at least 54.2 tons of carbon emissions in nine months – more than 12 times the annual emissions of the average Briton.
The Daily Mail has approached Ed Miliband, the Labour Party and the Department for Energy and Net Zero for comment.
