Fahnbulleh named UK energy secretary as Miliband moves to Foreign Office
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham unveiled his new cabinet on Monday, with Miatta Fahnbulleh named as secretary of state for energy security and net zero.
Burnham became prime minister on Monday following Keir Starmer’s resignation earlier this month.
Fahnbulleh, a member of Parliament since 2024, will replace Ed Miliband, who, as architect of the government’s energy policy, secured more than 13GW of offshore wind capacity across two procurement rounds and launched a £1bn ($1.34bn) supply-chain initiative.
While Miliband had originally been in the running for the role of chancellor of the exchequer – a choice that industry had pushed back against – he was named as foreign secretary on Monday.
In a surprise appointment on Monday, John Healey, who resigned as defence secretary in protest at Starmer’s defence funding plan in June, was named chancellor of the exchequer and replaces Rachel Reeves.
Fahnbulleh previously served as Parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Housing as well as at the Energy Department, according to UK government website.
In her stint at Energy, she focused on consumer issues and electricity prices.
As Energy secretary, she will be expected to maintain momentum in the nation’s offshore wind secretary following the AR7 in January that added 8.4GW to the nation’s pipeline under contract.