New ministers Miatta Fahnbulleh and Angela Eagle made an unexpected detour on Monday night as they left Downing Street after being appointed to new roles in Prime Minister Andy Burnham's Cabinet. Ms. Fahnbulleh has been appointed Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero, replacing Ed Miliband, who is now Foreign Secretary. Ms. Eagle has accepted the position of Environment Secretary.

Shortly after their appointments were announced, the pair were observed walking the wrong way as they exited Number 10, leading them to a dead end before they had to turn back. BBC Newsnight presenter Nick Watt provided a live commentary of the incident, which was also noted by social media users.

The misstep occurred as they passed 11 Downing Street, now occupied by Chancellor Shabana Mahmood, and proceeded towards Horse Guards Parade, before returning to Whitehall.

Fahnbulleh's Policy Stance

Miatta Fahnbulleh, a Member of Parliament from the 2024 intake, has risen rapidly to a full Cabinet position. She previously served as Deputy Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and had worked as an advisor for Ed Miliband and for the New Economics Foundation. Her past policy proposals include advocating for 5% of GDP to be spent on green infrastructure annually, an amount equivalent to £140 billion. In November 2021, she called for £30 billion per year to be spent on Net Zero initiatives and urged the government to fulfill a commitment to mobilize £74 billion for climate finance for the global south. In 2023, she proposed a "free basic energy" policy.

Eagle's Long Tenure

Angela Eagle, a long-serving Labour politician, was first elected as an MP in 1992. She has held various ministerial roles throughout her career, including security minister in the previous government. Her appointment to Environment Secretary marks her first Cabinet position.

Questions are being raised by energy firms about whether Ms. Fahnbulleh will continue the policies of her predecessor, Ed Miliband, whose approach to Net Zero has been linked to high electricity bills. The promotion of Mr. Miliband to Foreign Secretary was met with relief by the industry.