Kemi Badenoch has issued a strong warning against the potential appointment of Ed Miliband as Chancellor, stating it would be a "disaster for our country." Badenoch, a leading Conservative figure, called for Andy Burnham, who is preparing to assume leadership, to dismiss the Energy Secretary rather than elevate him to a more powerful position.
In a public statement, Badenoch labeled Miliband as "the villain" of Britain's ongoing energy crisis. She reiterated past accusations, drawing a parallel between Miliband's approach to energy policy and the actions of military dictators in Nigeria, her country of childhood. "Nigeria is an oil producing country that never had any electricity. Why? Because it had bad policies from military dictatorships," Badenoch explained, asserting that Miliband's focus on increased state control and his current policies are detrimental to Britain's energy security and capacity.
Badenoch expressed concern over the limited choices for the Chancellorship, noting the unusual circumstances of Burnham's selection as Prime Minister. "There aren't many options [for Chancellor] - they couldn't even pick a Prime Minister from the 400 people in parliament, they had to go and get the mayor of Greater Manchester to do it!" she stated. She argued that Miliband has been the primary figure responsible for the deindustrialization of the country and its subsequent economic decline, and that rewarding him with the Chancellorship would risk bankrupting the nation.
Badenoch's critique of Miliband's potential Chancellorship follows similar concerns raised by trade unions, business leaders, and some Labour figures. Sharon Graham, leader of the Unite union, previously warned that Miliband's policies could jeopardize jobs in British industry. Entrepreneur Sir Rocco Forte also expressed apprehension, suggesting that Miliband's "anti-growth, high-tax, anti-enterprise thinking" would cause unease within the business community.
Beyond her criticism of Miliband, Badenoch also commented on Andy Burnham's proposed devolution agenda. She accused Burnham of presenting outdated ideas and of "hiding" behind devolution to avoid making difficult decisions. "What I hear when Andy Burnham talks about more devolution is he doesn't actually know what he wants to do, and so he wants to pass the problem somewhere else," Badenoch said. She urged the incoming administration to utilize the powers recently gained from the European Union rather than showing hesitation in decision-making, suggesting that politicians are often "scared" to tackle crucial issues.