Lee Anderson tears into Ed Miliband over Labour's £50m 'Robin Hood' energy blunder

Lee Anderson has hit out at Labour over a “modern” Robin Hood saga which he said cost the taxpayer £50 million.

The Reform MP quizzed Energy Secretary Ed Miliband over how much GB Energy will cost Britons, while referring to the case of a publicly-owned energy company that collapsed in 2020.

Speaking in the Commons, he said: “I would just like to remind him (Ed Miliband) that just a few years ago, the Labour-controlled Nottingham City Council had their own energy company called Robin Hood Energy.

“But this was Robin Hood with a modern twist, it robbed from the poor and gave to the rich, and cost the taxpayer about £50 million.”

Mr Miliband said: “First of all, if I can explain, Robin Hood Energy was a supply company, this is a generation company. Robin Hood was a retailer, so it’s different.

“I have to say I am surprised about the position he takes. I thought the position of his party was to be in favour of publicly-owned energy. I think they produced lots of videos on social media to that effect.”

Council-run Robin Hood Energy set out to help people struggling with their bills but instead it failed to turn a profit, ended up losing millions and is being closed down, leaving 230 workers redundant.

Labour and Conservative MPs clashed over the Government’s plan for a GB Energy company.

Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to turn the UK into a “clean energy superpower” were set out in the King’s Speech on Wednesday.

There is a Bill to set up “Great British Energy”, a publicly-owned energy generation company which will own, manage and operate clean power projects across the country.

The Great British Energy Bill will receive £8.3 billion of new taxpayer money over the course of this Parliament to boost investment in renewable energy, such as offshore wind.

Tory former cabinet minister Robert Jenrick told the Commons: “Despite having decarbonised faster than other countries, despite only being responsible for 1% of global emissions, we now find ourselves with a Government pursuing for ideological reasons a net-zero policy which is going to make it harder for our own consumers to afford their bills, which is going to further erode our industrial base, which is going to lead us in hock to Chinese technology, where we’re trading dependent on Russian hydrocarbons, for Chinese electric vehicles, smart meters and solar panels that will spoil our countryside.”

Labour Co-op MP for Preston Mark Hendrick said: “As a first step, Great British Energy will take back control of our energy supply, producing cheaper power for our country and (ensuring) profits go back into our communities.

“And as a Co-operative Party MP, I want to see more community energy companies based on the co-operative model.

“Not only will Great British Energy generate clean energy, but it will also cut energy bills and deliver good jobs.”

Mr Hendrick added: “The Conservatives have squandered our advantage in clean energy and left the country dangerously exposed to international energy markets manipulated by dictators like Vladimir Putin.”