Conference remarks on bills and climate
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh told a podcast recorded at the Labour party conference in Liverpool that a key test of her tenure would be whether she could deliver lower energy bills for consumers. Speaking to journalists Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey, Fahnbulleh said she intended to achieve that outcome and framed it as the principal measure of success or failure.
She used the platform to directly challenge the positions of Reform UK and the Conservative party on climate action, accusing them of inaction and signalling they would change course. "They will bow," Fahnbulleh said, adding that both parties were on the "wrong side of history" on this issue.
The remarks underline a combative tone from a senior government minister at the party conference, where energy and the cost of living are high on the political agenda. Fahnbulleh's comments on accountability for bills highlight the government's sensitivity to public concern over household energy costs.
Her intervention on the podcast, hosted by Crerar and Stacey, is likely to sharpen political debate over climate policy and party positioning ahead of future public scrutiny. Fahnbulleh framed her goals in both practical terms — reducing bills — and in broader political terms by challenging opponents' stance on climate action.