‘Eco-hypocrite' Miliband refuses to reveal his number of domestic flights
Ministers insisted the Energy Secretary would not disclose any details about his air travel within the UK since he entered office last July.
Claire Coutinho, shadow energy secretary, said the refusal represented 'one rule for him and another for everyone else' given that the Left-wing frontbencher has been a vociferous opponent of domestic air travel.
Labour has also forced through significant increases to air passenger duty that have added hundreds of pounds to some family holidays.
The accusation came after a Conservative MP challenged the Energy Secretary to publish details of the internal UK flights he has taken since the last election.
Answering on Mr Miliband's behalf, Michael Shanks, the energy minister, replied: 'Details of internal domestic flights are not published.'
Claire Coutinho, the Tory shadow energy secretary, said: '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.'
Mr Miliband's stance is in line with other Whitehall departments, which also do not release details of ministers' domestic flights.
The Government said it was 'the practice of successive administrations', including Tory ones, not to 'publish granular information' about their movements.
Mr Miliband, who is in charge of net zero policies, has previously said Britons should cut down on such flights 'as much as we possibly can'.
But he was embarrassed earlier this year when it emerged his department is spending more on internal flights under his watch than the Tories.
Figures released in April revealed it spent £44,000 on domestic flights for ministers and officials between July and December last year.
That was more than the £40,000 spent in the first half of 2024 by the Tories, when Ms Coutinho was in charge of the net zero ministry.
Mr Miliband has previously suggested that the Government should encourage ordinary voters to take trains and buses rather than flying.
Asked when he was shadow business secretary whether domestic flights should be banned, he said: 'Not completely, but as much as we possibly can.'
Speaking to the BBC in 2021, he added: 'Fairness and giving people alternatives is an absolutely key part of making this transition happen.'
Labour repeatedly criticised the Conservatives for taking flights and pledged before the election to clamp down on ministers' use of jets.
But since taking office, Mr Miliband has been heavily criticised for jet-setting, which has seen him spend 10 times more on foreign trips than Ms Coutinho.
The Energy Secretary spent £62,712 on overseas travel in his first six months in office, according to Taxpayers' Alliance analysis,
In contrast, his Tory predecessor spent just £6,155 during her first half-year in the role.
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BBC News
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Northampton welcomes four Rugby World Cup nations with ceremony
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