This week had it all — policy, politics, and a touch of chaos. From green jobs to inquiry storms and council turmoil.
Top – Ed Miliband
It’s been an electrifying week for Ed Miliband. The Energy Secretary finally plugged in his long-awaited national clean jobs plan of 400,000 new roles by 2030 across 31 “priority occupations”, from welders to wind-farm engineers. This announcement comes with real places, pay packets and training schemes attached. Even the unions, long wary of net-zero job losses, came on board.
Politically, it’s a savvy move. While Nigel Farage was promising to reopen coal mines in Caerphilly, Miliband was in Doncaster talking about clean-tech apprenticeships and jobs that don’t necessitate leaving your hometown.
But no plan is without its challenges. The Tony Blair Institute fired a warning shot, urging the government to focus on “cheaper, not just cleaner” energy. And Pawel Czyzak, the economist behind Miliband’s £300 energy bill cut estimate, admitted those savings could be “wiped out” by rising electricity costs, especially if offshore wind expenses don’t fall as expected.
Yet Miliband’s commitment to decarbonisation remains firm. He’s betting that a rapid transition away from fossil fuels is the only sustainable way to end Britain’s exposure to volatile global gas markets and bring bills down long term. If successful, this plan could be a game-changer for Labour’s industrial strategy, marrying climate goals with economic renewal and job creation.
“Cheaper, cleaner, British power,” is the line, and it has some real energy.
Middle – Shabana Mahmood
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood found herself responding to growing turbulence around the national grooming gangs inquiry. Following the resignation of several survivors from the inquiry’s liaison panel - who cited a “toxic environment” and concerns over secrecy and control - Mahmood stepped in with firm reassurances.
The inquiry, announced months ago, still hasn’t appointed a chair, and key survivor voices are walking away, citing gaslighting and cover-ups. Candidates for the chair role have pulled out amid concerns, leaving Mahmood with a tough task: rebuild trust with survivors while keeping a fragile inquiry on track and dealing with the political fallout as opposition parties openly question Labour’s grip on a highly sensitive issue.
The Home Secretary has drawn a line in the sand with her firm assurances, but the real test will be whether she can turn damage control into delivery and keep the inquiry moving forward amid growing political and survivor unrest. This remains to be seen – Britain’s eyes are wide open.
Not – Linden Kemkaran
Linden Kemkaran’s leadership of Kent County Council lit up this week - but not in the way she hoped. The leaked video of her telling her fellow Reform councillors to “f***ing suck it up” regarding her decisions wasn’t just a slip of the tongue; it was a slip in judgment that exposed divisions in Reform UK’s new flagship council.
With 50 Reform members holding a commanding majority on the council, Kent was intended to be the party’s “shop window” for Nigel Farage’s vision of Reform governance in action.
Instead, the leak exposed simmering tensions and an autocratic leadership style. The suspension of four councillors in the fallout only added fuel to the fire, highlighting internal fractures.
The controversy has since escalated, with MPs writing to Nigel Farage calling for Kemkaran to step down, arguing that “if you can't handle the pressure without losing your cool, then it's time to step aside.”
This wasn’t the kind of leak Reform UK wanted. If Kent’s council was meant to be a model of strong governance, this looked more like a house of glass. #HandleWithCare.