Andy Burnham blasted by Claire Coutinho over 'extraordinary' plans to re-industrialise Britain: 'It's madness!'

Claire Coutinho has launched a scathing two-pronged attack on Andy Burnham and Ed Miliband, describing Labour's plans for Britain's energy security as "madness".

Speaking to GB News, the Shadow Energy Secretary hit out at Mr Burnham's plans to re-industrialise the UK while the Energy Secretary continues to "shut down the North Sea".

In a speech in Leeds on Monday, Mr Burnham argued that Britain had been on the "wrong path for 40 years" with deindustrialisation in the North.

He said: "The deindustrialisation of the 1980s was devastating for places across Makerfield like Ashton-in-Makerfield, Orrel, Winstanley, Hindley, Platbridge.

"Privatisation in the 1990s and austerity in the 2010s... It all adds up to 40 years of neoliberalism that have not been kind to the north of England."

Delivering her verdict on Mr Burnham's speech, Ms Coutinho told GB News that the changes Britain needs for energy security have been "sat on Ed Miliband's desk" for "two years".

She said: "You've got shortages of supply, and the first thing that you should do is not get into that position in the first place.

"That's why I think it's extraordinary that while Andy Burnham is talking about re-industrialisation, you've got Ed Miliband on the other hand shutting down the North Sea. It's absolute madness."

Ms Coutinho named two oil and gas fields which could have been operational "in time for Christmas" last year, but Mr Miliband did not act on it.

She argued: "There are two fields, Jackdaw and Rosebank, which could get up very quickly. Jackdaw could supply us with gas, and it could have been done in time for Christmas.

"There's obviously been such a big delay, and I don't know if that is going to happen now, but these are things which have been sat on Ed Miliband's desk for two years now."

The Shadow Energy Secretary warned that Labour must do "two things" if they are "serious about re-industrialisation".

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Andy Burnham U-turns on borrowing plans after bond market backlash and IMF warning
• Andy Burnham would smash Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting in Labour leadership contest, poll shows
• Labour leadership chaos ‘costing British families £300 each’

She told GB News: "If you're serious about industrialisation, if you want British industry to succeed, you need to do at least two things.

"You need to back the North Sea, and you also need to get rid of some of these extraordinary carbon taxes, which are killing off British industry."

Ms Coutinho added: "We are the only political party with a plan to fund that, and that's why, again, I think it's important that we put those ideas forward to the country."

Asked for her verdict on Mr Burnham's bid to stand in the Makerfield by-election, the Tory MP compared the Greater Manchester Mayor to a "fun uncle" who is "never held to account".

She told GB News: "I think Andy Burnham for years has got to be the fun uncle in the Labour Party. He can say whatever he wants, call for whatever he wants and he's not accountable for any of it.

"So he can say we should nationalise everything, we shouldn't worry about the bond market, we can rejoin the EU and all our problems will go away, and he's never been held accountable."

Ms Coutinho concluded: "He's basically the fun uncle who says you can have ice cream for dinner, we're going to the zoo next week, because he's not footing the bill, and now he's going to be under proper scrutiny and he's actually being held to account for some of the things that he's been saying in the past.

"And I think you'll see very quickly, as we are seeing now that those positions will change."