Labour’s 2024 general election manifesto included a commitment to ban all new exploration in the North Sea.
North Sea oil and gas production is in long term decline(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Keir Starmer has ignored Donald Trump’s demands for the North Sea to be opened up to more drilling as the UK Government moves forward with plans to ban new exploration licenses.
The King’s Speech announced today – which details Westminster’s priorities over the next 12 months – included an Energy Independence Bill to “scale-up homegrown renewable energy and protect living standards for the long-term”.
Details published after the King had finished his address in Parliament explained the legislation would meet “the manifesto commitment not to issue new licenses to explore new fields”.
Labour’s 2024 general election manifesto included a commitment to ban all new exploration in the North Sea, while honouring licenses agreed to by the previous Tory government.
This means the proposed gigantic development of the Rosebank oil field north of Shetland would be unaffected by any law change.
But the ongoing war in Ukraine and Trump’s attacks on Iran have continued to push up the cost of domestic energy – with opposition parties including the Tories and Reform UK calling for more domestic production in response.
The US President yesterday made one of his regular attacks on Starmer’s energy policy and claimed the PM was “windmilling the country to death” and warned the UK was squandering one of the world’s major energy resources.
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“Well, my advice to him has always been, open up your oil in the North Sea,” Trump told reporters as he boarded a flight to China. “You got one of the great oil finds anywhere in the world, and you’re not using it, they’re not allowed to use it, and it’s one of the best in the world, among the best oils in the world.”
Starmer said the legislation in the King’s Speech would make the country “stronger and fairer” and help deliver the “change we promised”.
“We will strengthen our economic security, energy security, our defence and national security,” the Prime Minister said. “We will unblock the barriers to growth and prepare our country for a world where external shocks like this are ever more frequent.
Russell Findlay, Scottish Conservatives leader, said: “Labour’s crazy decision to double down to block new drilling is a kick in the teeth for Scotland’s proud oil and gas workers.
“Driven by completely unrealistic net zero targets, they are happy to kill off the industry no matter how many jobs are lost or how much it will force up people’s energy bills.”
But the commitment to meet Labour’s manifesto pledge was welcomed by environmental campaign group Uplift.
Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, said: “Labour is right not to repeat the mistakes of past governments that failed to prepare this country for soaring energy costs driven by overseas wars.
“Spending tens of billions propping up a broken fossil fuel system is clearly not the answer, nor is more drilling when we know it won’t lower bills and the UK has already burned through most of its gas reserves.
“Just a month’s worth of gas has been produced to date from the hundreds of new licences the previous Conservative government issued over 14 years.
“Instead, ministers must urgently scale up support for households to switch to clean energy, as well as accelerating reforms to ensure they feel the savings and directly supporting the most vulnerable.”
Dave Doogan, SNP leader at Westminster, said: “This was a typically and massively underwhelming policy agenda from a dismal Prime Minister who promised change but has only delivered chaos.
“It does nothing to help families with the cost of living, which has soared under the Labour Party, and it shows why Scotland urgently needs a fresh start with independence – because real change will never come from Westminster.
“For months, families have been crying out for help with the cost of living emergency but the Labour government has been completely distracted by its leadership crisis and has failed to lift a finger to help hard-pressed households.”
