Andrew Neil accused Ed Miliband of "nauseating hypocrisy" in a row over British Steel. The company was taken over by the Government on Saturday after the Chinese owners moved to close the Scunthorpe site.

In a post on X, Energy Secretary Mr Miliband hailed Parliament being recalled from the Easter recess to pass emergency legislation. He said: “Very proud to be in the House today to see my colleagues Jonathan Reynolds and Sarah Jones standing up for British steelworkers and industry.

"This Government is delivering the muscular industrial policy this country needs in uncertain times."

But veteran broadcaster Mr Neil replied: "The nauseating hypocrisy of E Miliband is jaw-dropping.

"He and his kind across the political class — Labour, Tory, Lib Dem, SNP — promoted the very energy policies that lumbered Britain with the highest industrial energy costs in the world, making industries like steel uneconomic.

"They tolerated no dissent from their net zero nonsense even as deindustrialisation gathered pace.

“And now Miliband has the audacity to pose as the saviour of British steelworkers! In truth, the British political class has shamefully failed them, none more so than net zero zealot Miliband."

Jingye, the Chinese owner of British Steel, had planned to close the blast furnaces at Britain’s last primary steelmaking plant.

The company now faces a race against time to ensure it has enough raw materials to keep the two blast furnaces burning.

Without those materials, such as coking coal and iron ore, the blast furnaces will cool, which risks irreparable damage.