The head of one of the UK’s biggest trade unions has suggested Ed Miliband should be sacked by Sir Keir Starmer over his net zero plan, labelling it a “disaster”. Sharon Graham, from Unite union which backed the Energy Secretary in the Labour leadership race in 2010, criticised Mr Miliband’s approach to Britain’s energy security.

Ms Graham’s comments come as one of the UK’s few oil refineries faces closure this year. Almost a third of workers at the Prax Lindsey oil refinery, the source of 10% of the UK’s petrol, are to be made redundant after it fell into administration. The Insolvency Service said on Tuesday morning that 125 jobs will be cut by the end of October, leaving 255 workers at the site in North Killingholme, north Lincolnshire. The official receiver, which continues to seek a rescue deal for the business, took control of the operation after owner Prax Group collapsed into insolvency in June.

When asked whether she believed it was time for Mr Miliband to go, the Unite general secretary told The Telegraph: “I think that he has not made a good fist of it.

“I think maybe it is time for him to think that he should move out of this position, because for me, we don’t have time. I’ve got two oil refineries shutting now in less than a year.

“These people here have been told that their jobs are going, yet we know that we need to have fuel in Britain. Where is the money going into this?

“Now if it’s the Treasury that’s stopping it, then maybe we need somebody that’s more vocal for these jobs.

“We need somebody that is going to say ‘we back Britain and I am demanding that we get this money into this area’. Because so far it’s been an absolute disaster zone.”

Earlier, she accused Labour of being “tin eared to the plight of workers at the second oil refinery facing closure in less than a year”.

The union boss told The Telegraph she believes Mr Miliband is a “very good guy”, but warned: “The difficulty here is he doesn’t seem to be grasping that you cannot let go of one rope until you’ve got hold of another.

“We are giving up our fuel security. We’re allowing refineries to shut and we’re going to be at the behest of other countries in terms of fuel that is totally irresponsible.”

The Insolvency Service said it will fully support employees at the Prax Lindsey oil refinery subject to redundancy “via the redundancy payments service”.

A spokeswoman said: “The site remains safe, and the official receiver continues to prioritise health and safety at the site alongside the ongoing process to secure the sale of the refinery.

“The conduct of the company and its directors, following the liquidation of Prax Oil Refinery, remains the subject of an ongoing Insolvency Service investigation.”