Britain is suffering from "fifty shades of green" by favouring "sadomasochistic" energy and climate change policies that inflict pain on the country, a former Cabinet minister has said.

Tory Peter Lilley joked that erotic romance novel Fifty Shades Of Grey showed sadomasochism is "far more widespread than we previously thought" and could be an explanation for green policies which hike up energy bills for consumers and industry.

He said the green lobby which "straddles" both sides of politics showed that similar ideals are applied to Government policy which seeks to lower carbon emissions.

The climate change sceptic described the policies as "perverse", claiming they inflict pain on the nation without having any effect on emissions.

During the Energy Bill's second reading in the Commons, Mr Lilley said: "It's puzzled me for a long time how it is that we have a political class, and particularly the green lobby which straddles both sides of the gangway, who are committed, not universally, not here either, were committed to such perverse policies.

"And then I did find a possible hint of an explanation when someone mentioned to me a book which, like me I'm sure you haven't read but have heard about, called forty shades of grey.

"It's apparently a mildly pornographic..."

Mr Lilley was then corrected on the correct title of the book by seated MPs to laughter around the Commons, before he went on: "Fifty Shades Of Grey.

"Have I any higher bids? I have not read it, I've not even read the title.

"But there is a book - Fifty Shades Of Grey, whose surprising popularity demonstrated that sadomasochism, the infliction of pain and submission to pain, are far more widespread tastes than we previously thought.

"It seems to me that in the political sphere there is a similar belief - that it will be popular to inflict pain or to submit pain by green policies - fifty shades of green you might say is what we are suffering from in this country."

Ed Miliband later described Mr Lilley's speech as "unique" and insisted the costs of not acting against climate change are greater than those incurred by implementing green policies.

The former Labour leader said floods would be "coming soon to a constituency near you" as he accused climate change sceptics of "burying their heads in the sand".

He said: "Let me just say it is a privilege to follow the unique speech of Mr Lilley.

"I bow to his greater knowledge of fifty or forty shades of grey, or green for that matter.

"I think it is also fair to say that he has taken a consistent position on these issues - he was one of the five members of this House to vote against the Climate Change Act.

"This was an Act supported right across this House.

"It won't surprise the House to hear that I am taking a slightly different perspective from him in my remarks."

Mr Miliband suggested the world is going to see a lot more extreme weather as a result of climate change.

He said: "The costs of not acting are greater than the costs of acting.

"Just look at the floods we saw in the last couple of months.

"We're going to have a lot more of that - coming soon to a constituency near you.

"I think it's sticking your head in the sand to say you don't need to act - 'it'll all be okay, we'll just carry on as we are, business as usual'.

"And to be fair to Energy Secretary Amber Rudd, I don't think she believes that, she's on the right side of this argument.

"Of course we have to do it at the least cost that you can, but let's not pretend that somehow this doesn't exist because we're seeing the effects of this all around the world and if we don't act we're going to have a lot more of it."