Action on energy costs is my overriding aim, says Fahnbulleh

The energy secretary has stressed that affordability is her "overriding objective", as she said reducing bills would be key to maintaining public support for climate action. Speaking to BBC Panorama, Miatta Fahnbulleh insisted that the government's drive for cleaner power would help to cut energy bills in the long term.

But she conceded that the push to reduce carbon emissions was currently "under pressure" amid discontent at rising prices in recent years. It comes as ministers grapple with how to respond to a predicted surge in energy prices in January, expected to mark the biggest rise in bills for four years.

Labour has faced extra political pressure over its climate ambitions since coming to power, as Reform UK rose in opinion polls and the Conservatives under Kemi Badenoch disowned their previous ambition of reaching net zero by 2050. Both opposition parties have taken particular aim at public subsidy schemes designed to boost renewable sources of electricity generation, arguing that the drive for cleaner energy has driven up costs for consumers.