Ed Miliband has accused a Green Party co-leader of having a “none of the above position” on clean energy.

The energy security and net zero secretary said Adrian Ramsay, who has co-led the Greens since 2021, “appears to oppose many different forms of clean power.”

It came after Ramsay, the MP for Waveney Valley, asked for further information on the “regulated asset based [RAB] funding model for Sizewell C”.

He added: “In particular, could he assure the public that the construction phase of Sizewell C won’t be funded by increases to people’s bills, given that it will be well over a decade… before, it’s producing any new electricity.”

Miliband responded: “He will know that the RAB system that was passed through this House involves the role of bill payers. Now we believe this is the right system…

“And I do say to the honourable gentleman, you know, he appears to oppose many different forms of clean power.

“He opposes transmission infrastructure for offshore wind and solar. He opposes solar farms. He opposes CCS [carbon capture and storage]. I guess he opposes nuclear. You know, I have an all of the above position on clean energy. He seems to have a none of the above position.”

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A Green MP has dismissed Reform UK as “cynical opportunists” as she reiterated her party’s call for the water industry to be brought into public ownership.

The intervention came in an urgent question on Thames Water’s financial situation, after private equity firm KKR pulled out of a rescue plan for the heavily indebted company.

Late last year, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK committed to nationalising the water sector – a longstanding position of the Green Party.

Ellie Chowns, the Green Party MP for North Herefordshire, hit out at Thames Water’s “obscene and fundamental failure”.

She told the House: “The Green Party has campaigned for public ownership of water since the year dot, unlike certain cynical opportunists on the bench behind me [Reform UK MPs], because we know that if you allow privatised monopolies to control our water – it’s left infrastructure crumbling, waterways running with sewage, sky high bills and shareholders laughing all the way to the bank.

“So can I ask the secretary of state [Steve Reed], given this obscene and fundamental failure, why is it that the government will not even consider bringing water back into public hands where it belongs?”

Reed, the environment secretary, suggested Chowns was referring to “imagined” problems as he rejected calls to bring the water industry into public ownership.

He said: “The problems facing the water sector are to do with failures of governance and regulation, and we need to tackle the actual problems, not the imagined ones.

“If we were to seek to nationalise the water sector, it would cost in excess of £100 billion. That would have to be taken away from services like the National Health Service or education.”

Reed added: “We are going to make sure that our priority is pure water, not the purity of her ideology.”

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Rachel Reeves has dismissed the Conservative Party as “becoming completely irrelevant”, in response to a question posed by shadow chancellor Mel Stride.

Stride asked the chancellor for “precisely which business confidence survey” she could cite to support her claim that the economy “has turned a corner”.

Reeves responded: “Well, the PwC [PricewaterhouseCoopers] survey of global CEOs says that Britain is the second best place in the world to invest – that’s just one of the surveys that backs what this government is doing.

“But the shadow chancellor just simply isn’t serious and his party is becoming completely irrelevant. Now he talks about jobs – 200,000 jobs have been created since the general election.”

She added: “We have secured three trade agreements which are backed by British businesses and British trade unions, and every single one of them, the party opposite opposes.

“No wonder even George Osborne says the shadow chancellor has no credible economic plan.”

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The environment secretary has accused the opposition of trying to “weaponise” tragedy after his Conservative shadow claimed farmers are taking their lives because of Labour’s inheritance tax policy.

Victoria Atkins, the shadow environment secretary, suggested the minister should resign on “principle” over the suicides.

She said: “Before Christmas, I warned the secretary of state that a farmer had taken their own life because they were so worried about the family farm tax…

“This week I have received the devastating news that several more farmers have taken their own lives because of the family farm tax.”

Atkins asked: “Will he set out these tragedies to the prime minister, demand that Labour policy is changed or offer, on a point of principle, his resignation?”

Steve Reed responded: “I express my regrets that the shadow secretary of state would seek to politicise personal tragedy in this way.

“I think it’s immensely, immensely regrettable that she would seek to do that… I think it’s beneath her, actually, to try to weaponise it in the way that she has done.”

He added: “This government takes the issues of mental health very, very seriously indeed.

“That is why we are setting up mental health hubs in every community so that we can support farmers and others who are suffering from mental health, which I would again gently remind her [was] a problem that escalated during her time in office as health secretary.”

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Ed Miliband has said Reform UK MP Lee Anderson “never ceases to amaze me” as the pair locked horns once more over net zero and energy policy.

Anderson, the Reform MP for Ashfield, accused the government of seeking to “block out” the sun in his contribution to net zero and energy security questions.

The comment refers to reports that British scientists could experiment with techniques to block sunlight as part of a £50 million government funded scheme to combat global warming.

Miliband responded: “The honourable gentleman [Anderson] never ceases to amaze me – and not in a good way, Mr. Speaker.

“What I would say to him is this – [Reform have] made their decision. I’m not sure what their [the Conservative Party’s] position is.

He added: “Cheap, clean home-grown power is the answer for Britain because it gives us energy security, frees us from the petro-states and dictators.

“We’re in favour of it. [Reform are] against it. Goodness knows where [the Conservatives] are.”

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The speaker rose to remind Robert Jenrick that MPs are not meant to criticise judges in the House after a tense frontbench exchange concerning the independence of the judiciary.

The intervention came as the shadow justice secretary criticised Greg Ó Ceallaigh, an immigration judge, for past comments.

Jenrick said: “Greg Ó Ceallaigh is a serving immigration judge who decides asylum and deportation appeals.

“It took nothing more than a basic Google search to uncover his past comments that the Conservative Party should be treated the same way as Nazis and cancer.”

He added: “Does the lord chancellor [Shabana Mahmood] believe this is compatible with judicial impartiality, and if not, what does she intend to do about it?”

The justice secretary responded: “When people might have complaints to make about judges, there is a well-placed mechanism for them to do so by making a complaint to the Judicial Complaints Office.

“If he wishes to make a complaint, he can do so. What I’m not going to do is indulge in personal, effectively doxing of judges – not when judges are simply doing their job of applying the law in the cases that appear before them.”

At this point in the exchange, the speaker intervened. Sir Lindsay Hoyle said: “Can I just say we have to be careful that we’re not stepping into an area we shouldn’t be?

“We’re not meant to criticise judges, and this House wouldn’t do so and I’m sure we’d like to change the topic.”

Jenrick responded: “Well, Mr. Speaker, it is important that judges and the manner in which they are appointed is properly scrutinised in this House, and I won’t shy away from that.”

Jenrick went on to ask his second question, concerning Helen Pitcher who he said was “forced to resign in disgrace as the chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission after a formal panel found that she’d failed in her duties during one of the worst miscarriages of justice in recent memory.”

He added: “But she’s still in charge of judicial appointments, despite judges appearing in the media every week now for their activism.

“Her commission has failed to conduct the most basic checks on potential judges, either out of sheer incompetence or out of sympathy with their hard left open borders views. The commission is broken and is bringing the independence of the judiciary into disrepute.”

Mahmood responded: “I’m afraid he can’t elide the process for the appointment of judges with a wider attack on the independence of the judiciary.

“I would hope that he would take the admonishment from the speaker and the clear approbation of this House to reflect on the way in which he is approaching his role. If there are complaints to be made about judicial conduct, there is already a robust process in place to do so.

“And if the shadow [lord] chancellor wants to avail himself of that, I’m sure, given how active he is he’ll be happy to do. What is completely improper is to take his position in this House, to indulge in a wider attack on the judiciary at a time when we know that judicial security has been compromised.”

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Rachel Reeves has been urged to commit to a “Buy British” campaign to encourage people to purchase products made in the UK in the wake of US tariffs.

Daisy Cooper, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, asked the government to pursue the strategy as “part of a broader national effort” to offset the impacts of Donald Trump’s tariff regime.

Speaking at Treasury questions on Tuesday morning, Cooper said: “Will the chancellor and the government commit to a ‘Buy British’ campaign as part of a broader national effort to encourage people to buy British here at home and elsewhere?”

Reeves responded: “In terms of buying British, I think everyone will make their own decisions.

“What we don’t want to see is a trade war with Britain becoming inward-looking, because if every country in the world decided that they only wanted to buy things produced in their country, that’s not a good way forward.

“Our country has benefited hugely from access to global markets and we will continue to want to be able to do that because that is in our national interest for working people and for businesses in this country.”

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Ed Miliband has invoked the slogan of the “Leave” campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum and insisted Labour is “taking back control” with clean energy.

The energy secretary was challenged on Tuesday morning by Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice, one of the founders of the pro-Brexit Leave Means Leave campaign, on energy bills.

Tice told the commons: ““Will the secretary of state confirm to the House, when will the bills come down, or will net stupid zero mean they’ll only ever go up?”

Miliband responded: “This is a decision for all members of the House to make. We are currently on the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets. We have no control over them. Now, the mission of this government is to take back control.

“Take back control with clean home-grown power. I urge him and members across the House: support taking back control.”

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Robert Jenrick had his comments slammed as “absolutely outrageous” after he questioned who in government is acting as an “obstacle” to easing the court backlog.

The shadow justice secretary told MPs the court backlog is growing by 500 cases every month, with no date set for when it will come down.

He said: “Victims are being forced to put their lives on hold whilst they wait for a trial date, and yet today at the Old Bailey half of all the court rooms sit empty.

“The Lady Chief Justice said that there are 4,000 additional sitting days available that could be used now. Who is the obstacle to resolving this? Is it the justice secretary [Shabana Mahmood], who is content for rape trials to be scheduled as far off as 2027, or is it the chancellor [Rachel Reeves], and the justice secretary has just had rings run around her by the Treasury?”

Mahmood responded: “What an absolutely outrageous set of remarks, completely forgetting that only six months ago it was his government that was in charge and it was a government that he was part of that all but ran our justice system into the ground.

“I don’t recall him standing up speaking about delays for rape victims, or indeed any other kind of victim, when he was on this side of the House. I’m glad he’s now realised that the system ought to try and put victims first.

“His critique would have more force if it were not for the fact that this is the government that upon coming to office only six months ago has increased crown court sitting capacity by 2,500 days.”

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The education secretary has rejected calls to ban smartphones in classrooms, as she branded the Conservative Party’s proposal a “headline-grabbing gimmick”.

Bridget Phillipson said she agreed that mobile phones should not be in lessons, but insisted that the opposition are wrong to say it can only be done by introducing legislation.

Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, said: “We know that smartphones in the classroom have a negative impact on reading and educational attainment of children in general…

“Does the education secretary agree that children’s education outcomes are negatively affected by smartphones? And if she does will she back our amendment to ban them from the classroom for good?”

Phillipson responded: “I agree that phones have no place in the classroom. It is entirely right that schools take firm action to stop their use. And I know that that is what the vast majority of schools already do. As the right honourable lady just said, last July, they said that they didn’t need to legislate in this area. Nothing has changed in this time.

“I backed the approach that they took in July in this area. Yet again, another headline-grabbing gimmick. No plans to drive up standards in our schools.”

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Lucy Powell and Jesse Norman clashed for the first time in the House of Commons on Thursday, after the latter was appointed to the post of shadow commons leader.

Jesse Norman, in his inaugural showing at House business questions, challenged Powell over the government’s priorities, telling MPs that Labour has “almost no real plans.”

He added: “We know what and who this government is against. But what is this government for?”

The leader of the House of Commons responded: “I’m afraid the cat really was out of the bag this week, wasn’t it, Madam Deputy Speaker, because we finally learnt that the Conservative Party supports all the benefits that the budget brings, but they don’t support any of the measures that will pay for them.”

Powell added: “We are actually now seeing a return to the magic money tree economics pursued by [former prime minister] Liz Truss.”

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Robert Jenrick said Labour has only increased its popularity with criminals as he demanded an apology for the government’s early release scheme in his first outing at the despatch box as shadow justice secretary.

Hours after his appointment was officially announced, Jenrick asked the government to detail the number of sex offenders and domestic abusers that had been let out of prison under its early release scheme.

He said: “Can I belatedly congratulate the front bench on their appointments? I’ve been a little busy over the summer. But during that time the only group this Labour government’s popularity has increased with is criminals.”

He added: “How many domestic abusers and sex offenders who were released under their early release scheme have gone on to re-offend? And would they like to apologise to the victims?”

The victims minister, Alex Davies-Jones, responded: “He seems to have a very short memory. I believe it is he who should be apologising to the country as a whole on behalf of his government’s woeful, absolute abuse of our justice system and our prisons.”

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Laura Trott defended the Conservative Party’s education record as she clashed with Bridget Phillipson in the House of Commons for the first time.

Trott, who was appointed shadow education secretary on Monday by new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, said England “climbed” international education league tables under Conservative rule.

She told MPs: “There has been a lot of discussion about our record in government. Under Conservatives, England climbed international education league tables. What happened to Labour-run Wales? It fell.”

She added: “Youth unemployment went down, school standards improved. That is the record of the Conservative government and it is one we are proud to defend. Does the secretary of state agree that academisation was one of the driving forces behind this very good school improvement?”

Phillipson, the education secretary, replied: “I am sorry to disappoint the right honourable lady but we are going to be talking about their fourteen years of failure for a very long time indeed.”

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Conservatives obsessing over Labour MPs’ receipt of Taylor Swift tickets need to “shake it off”, a cabinet minister has said.

Lucy Powell, the leader of the House of Commons, told MPs that Swift’s concerts generated “£1 billion to the UK visitor economy this summer” and noted a Conservative peer’s view of the row as “ludicrous”.

Powell said: “The Taylor Swift concerts generated £1 billion to the UK visitor economy this summer. Surely this is something that people want to welcome.”

She added: “He might want to read what the Conservative peer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, said in The Times today. He said the continued attention on this concert by the [Conservative Party] is ludicrous.”

“I think it’s about time they shake it off, quite honestly.”

The comments came after shadow leader of the House, Chris Philp, pushed for clarity about whether the government pressured the Metropolitan Police to provide Swift with a police escort.

Philip said: “Will the leader arrange a statement on the special police escort for Taylor Swift? It is reported the police decided initially that no special escort was needed. Apparently, the home secretary, the attorney general, the Mayor of London and, inevitably, Sue Gray then pressured the police into changing their mind and providing one, violating the police’s operational independence.”

“We now know that one of the many freebies the prime minister has eagerly scrounged for himself were tickets and a backstage pass to that very concert. And it wasn’t just him.”

He added: “Does the leader understand how bad this looks? The government initially denied the Met were pressured, which now appears to be untrue. So will the government finally come clean and tell the truth about exactly what pressure was put on the Met and by whom?”

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Speaking after leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt delivered the weekly business statement, Lucy Powell accused the Conservative Party of being “tin-eared” in response to the local elections.

After the final votes cast at the local elections were counted on Sunday, the Conservatives had lost control of 10 councils and more than 470 council seats.

The party also lost 10 Police and Crime Commissioners to Labour and a further 10 mayoral races — including for the West Midlands mayoralty, a post previously held by Andy Street.

Powell said: “Perhaps we could have a debate on what the local election results are telling us. It might help to inject a little bit of reality into their thinking because you can’t cure something if you’re in complete denial about it.

“Which part of the message that voters were expressing did their tin ears not hear this time.”

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Speaking after delivering the weekly business statement today, leader of the House Penny Mordaunt appeared to address speculation that she could succeed Rishi Sunak as Conservative leader.

Mordaunt joked: “I have briefly emerged from under the hairdryer, put down my Take a Break magazine, managed not only to find my way to the chamber this morning, but also remember on which side of it I am supposed to be sitting to be present and correct for business questions. Quite a feat, if media reports are to be believed.”

“I have been buoyed up by what the Honourable Lady [shadow leader of the House Lucy Powell] has said. After all, this week we have seen inflation fall to 3.4%”

A recent article in the Telegraph described Penny Mordaunt as “at a beauty parlour in Portsmouth”, throwing “a copy of Take A Break at the TV screen” upon hearing that she is being talked up as a potential leadership rival.

Mordaunt’s comments today followed an address by Lucy Powell, who also alluded to the speculation about the House leader’s future, saying: “Thousands of column inches written about the unfolding drama. Will she? Won’t she? When will it come to a head?

“Yet she’s remained tight lipped, ducking the question”.

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Speaking after leader of the House Penny Mordaunt delivered the weekly business statement, Lucy Powell urged the Conservative Party to give donor Frank Hester “his money back”.

Powell said: “I had to check myself yesterday, Mr. Speaker, that the prime minister really said that he was pleased that this man who said a black woman MP [Diane Abbott] should be shot and the Indians should climb on the roof of trains, supported his party”.

She added: “Surely if he’s a racist, which he clearly is, he has no place in the Conservative Party and they should give him his money back”.

Penny Mordaunt responded: “She has stated that it is wrong to take funds from people who say horrible things no matter when they were said. And when there is an issue, funds should be returned.

“She has been clear about that today and she has said that that is the right thing to do if, for example, someone who has said of Hamas that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, as Dale Vince has said”.

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Speaking after delivering the weekly business statement this morning, leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt called on Lee Anderson to consider “the good he could do” after he had the Conservative whip withdrawn over inflammatory comments relating to London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Mordaunt said: “I would … ask him, whatever political hue he ends up being, to consider all the good that he could do in these particular times with the trust and following that he has built up”.

The comments came after shadow leader of the House Lucy Powell said: “I hope she will take this opportunity to say what is very clear for all to see that the comments of the member for Ashfield about the Mayor of London were racist and Islamophobic”.

Lee Anderson is not good enough for Reform UK, suggests deputy leader Ben Habib

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Speaking to the commons after delivering the weekly business statement today, leader of the House Penny Mordaunt referenced the prime minister’s jibe at Keir Starmer yesterday, in which the Labour leader was accused of not being able to “define a woman”.

Responding to the controversy that has followed the PM’s comments, Mordaunt said: “Whatever the rough and tumble of this place, whatever the pressures and mistakes that are made in the heat of political combat, we owe it to the people who sent us here to strive every day to make them proud of us and this place”.

She added: “The prime minister is a good and caring man. I’m sure that he has reflected on things. … And that is not just about what Mr. and Mrs. Ghey that he should reflect on. But I’m sure he is also reflecting about people who are trans or who have trans loved ones and family, some of whom sit on these green benches”.

“I hope the Leader of the Opposition [Keir Starmer] will also reflect on his actions too”.

The comments came after shadow leader of the House Lucy Powell said: “And this week in prime minister’s question time, we hit a new low. In the week of the first anniversary of the murder of Briana Ghey.

“Whilst her mother was in the public gallery, the prime minister tried to score cheap political points at the expense of trans people, which we and his father condemned as absolutely dehumanising”.

The shadow leader also referenced the prime minister’s widely criticised bet on the Rwanda deportations plan with Piers Morgan. Powell said: “The Prime Minister has this week made some serious misjudgement. On Monday, he shook hands on a bet to deport migrants to Rwanda before the next general election.

“Betting on people’s lives was grim to watch and the ease with which the prime minister agreed to £1,000 bet when so many are suffering through. The Conservative cost of living crisis was a gross spectacle”.

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