Labour Rising Star Miatta Fahnbulleh: Who Is Andy Burnham's New Net Zero Secretary?
Her promotion gives Peckham a cabinet-level voice on energy security, green industry and the transition to net zero, officials said.
- On Monday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham appointed Miatta Fahnbulleh as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. The Peckham MP assumed the cabinet role just two years and 16 days after winning her London seat.
- Fahnbulleh, a former chief executive of the New Economics Foundation, brings extensive economic policy experience to the cabinet. She previously served as a junior minister before resigning in May 2026, a move that positioned her close to Burnham's camp.
- A trained economist with a PhD from the London School of Economics, Fahnbulleh describes herself as a 'heterodox economist'—a progressive economist who believes the economy can be redesigned to work better for people and the planet. She has long advocated for a 'global Green New Deal.'
- Conservatives and industry representatives immediately criticized the appointment, accusing Fahnbulleh of 'sabotaging' the country. Tory MPs issued a joint letter demanding an urgent rethink of Labour's North Sea oil and gas policy.
- Critics remain concerned by her intentions for another windfall tax and achieving net zero by 2034. Russell Borthwick, Chief Executive of the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, urged the new Energy Secretary to prioritize North Sea industry support.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Andy Burnham’s new Energy Secretary demanded Britain hit full Net Zero 15 years before target
The new Energy Secretary once called for a “green economic revolution” and said Net Zero should be hit 15 years earlier than the 2050 target. Miatti Fahnbulleh also joked that Zack Polanski’s Green Party had used her economic ideas ahead of the 2026 local elections. Ms Fahnbulleh, who was elected as an MP in 2024, took over her cabinet role from Ed Miliband. During his tenure, Mr Miliband was accused of “Net Zero fanaticism” by Tory leader, Kemi…
New UK Government Energy Secretary Under Fire for Interventionist Policy Past
The appointment of Miatta Fahnbulleh as the new Energy Secretary under new UK prime minister Andy Burnham has raised eyebrows among opponents of ‘Net Zero’ green extremism. After scrutinizing her past climate and economic proposals, Guido Fawkes labeled her vision as a series of “eco-mad” policies. The site points to her long-standing advocacy of a radical Green New Deal. Fahnbulleh has historically pushed for the UK to reach net-zero carbon em…
Miatta Fahnbulleh: Peckham MP takes energy brief in Burnham’s first cabinet
Peckham MP Miatta Fahnbulleh has been appointed Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary, giving one of South London’s newest MPs a major role in Andy Burnham’s first cabinet. Her promotion caps a rapid rise: first elected in 2024, she now holds one of the government’s most strategically important briefs. Fahnbulleh, 46, was born in Liberia and came to the UK aged five after her family fled the country’s civil war in 1986. They were granted asylum…
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