DURHAM Labour MP Gerry Steinberg has been accused of making a U-turn over legislation on energy efficiency in homes.

But Mr Steinberg, who will retire at the next election, said his Liberal Democrat opponents, who hope to win the seat, were trying to make political capital.

Mr Steinberg came under fire when he joined other Labour MPs in voting against an amendment to the Housing Bill which, Liberal Democrats said, would have required tougher energy efficiency targets, helped tackle fuel poverty and reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

Earlier this year, the MP signed an Early Day Motion calling on the Government to improve the targets it was proposing to introduce.

Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Durham Carol Woods challenged Mr Steinberg to explain his change of heart.

She said: "In June, Gerry Steinberg thought Government plans to water-down commitments to demand warmer, more energy-efficient homes were disappointing.

"He also claimed that they would make it harder to prevent people living in fuel poverty to afford to keep warm. Just five months later, he voted for those same Government plans.

"Mr Steinberg must tell his constituents why he now backs the same plans that he had previously condemned."

Mr Steinberg said the Government had more or less conceded in the bill everything that he wanted and so the Early Day Motion had served its purpose in securing concessions.

He said that with ministers making concessions, he would not vote against the Government.

"They are just making silly accusations and trying to make political capital,'' he said.