Labour MPs Split Over Rosebank as Decision Nears
Some Labour MPs want the government to reject the Rosebank oil field. Senior figures in the party, meanwhile, increasingly expect drilling off the north-west coast of Shetland to get the go-ahead.
A debate without a vote
The split showed in a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday, organised by Green MP Carla Denyer. These sessions let backbenchers raise topical issues, but nothing is put to a vote. More than a dozen Labour MPs voiced concern about approval. Others backed the field and cited its value to the economy.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the decision would come in due course. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said that keeping energy bills affordable was her overriding aim. Reports have suggested that Chancellor John Healey favours approval.
The case against
Abtisam Mohamed, Labour MP for Sheffield Central, said Rosebank would not benefit taxpayers, who would carry most of the development costs. She added that it would not strengthen energy security, because most of the oil would be sold on international markets, and would not lower bills for constituents. Julia Buckley said people in Shrewsbury, which floods regularly, had written to her in opposition. She urged the Energy Secretary to back renewables instead.
Richard Burgon, a former frontbencher on the left of the party, said: "Rosebank is not compatible with our climate targets - it's dangerous to pretend otherwise."
It is understood some backbenchers have also organised a letter to Burnham opposing the field. It has not been sent yet. More than 60 of about 400 Labour MPs have indicated they would support it. One signatory told the BBC that approval would create no new jobs and bring minimal money to the Treasury.
The case for
Al Carns, who recently left his post as veterans minister, warned that Britain would keep needing fossil fuels for decades. In his words: "Refusing to produce it here does nothing on its own to eliminate that demand". He argued it would only raise reliance on imports.
Jonathan Brash, Labour MP for Hartlepool, stressed the jobs that approval would bring. Bill Esterson, who chairs the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, told BBC Radio 5 Live that the economics favour carrying on and that energy security is part of the case.
Why this is not a routine decision
The government insists Rosebank is a quasi-judicial decision that formally rests with Fahnbulleh. Last month she approved production at the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea. Rosebank is still undecided.
The Conservative government granted licences for Jackdaw in 2022 and for Rosebank in 2023. Last year the Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled that the approvals were unlawful, so Labour must decide afresh. Its 2024 manifesto promised no new licences to explore new fields.
Energy minister Michael Shanks told the debate that ministers wanted a "pragmatic" path through the clean energy transition. He said it would neither switch off supply nor drill every last drop, and would not make choices that clash with its climate obligations. The UK is committed to net zero by 2050.
Source: BBC News