Gordon Brown demands £300,000-a-year Ofgem boss resigns over prepay energy meter scandal

Former UK PM says regulator ‘failed dismally’ – and warns victims of debt have been forced to offer sexual favours or sell drugs to ‘circling’ loan sharks.

Gordon Brown has urged the head of energy regulator Ofgem to quit over the scandal that has seen hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Britons forced to switch to costly prepayment meters.

In an extraordinarily outspoken attack, the former prime minister says Jonathan Brearley should “consider his position” – and accuses him of failing “dismally” to protect customers, some of whom have been pushed into the hands of loan sharks.

Mr Brown also targets Rishi Sunak and his ministers over the failings, arguing that the poorest are being driven into a “nefarious doom-loop” of debt by “callous” government policies and forced to offer sexual favours or sell drugs to “circling” loan sharks.

Writing for The Independent, he says: “At this time of reshuffles, the Ofgem regulator should consider his position for failing on his responsibilities to energy customers subject to the forced installation of prepayment meters.

“His official responsibility could not be clearer ... So he and, the now restructured Energy Department, should immediately explain why instead of being on the side of the public, they have failed dismally to properly monitor and expose utility companies and their debt agents who, in the middle of the worst cost of living crisis for fifty years, have been breaking into the homes of impoverished customers.”

Mr Brown, who works alongside local charities in his hometown in Fife, says there had been little protection for victims forced to offer sexual favours or sell drugs by ruthless loan sharks during the cost of living crisis.