Scottish Labour Leader Presses for Rosebank Approval
Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra has made a direct appeal to Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh to approve plans to start production at the Rosebank oil field, 80 miles north-west of Shetland. It is the UK's largest untapped oil field, and environmentalists have long campaigned against drilling there.
Marra is in Westminster this week meeting both Fahnbulleh and Chancellor John Healey ahead of Wednesday's Budget. "I supported Jackdaw and Rosebank because I think they're really crucial for the Scottish economy, for employment, and for the public finances as well," he said. He pointed to Jackdaw as "a real boost to the morale and the investment climate in the north east of Scotland".
From manifesto pledge to open question
When Labour came to power in 2024, its manifesto promised no new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea. A legal challenge then put the future of the Jackdaw and Rosebank developments in the hands of the then-Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband. Senior offshore industry figures did not expect a go-ahead, given his commitment to renewable energy and his ties to Keir Starmer.
That was before the war between the US, Israel and Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz and deepened a cost of living crisis. Andy Burnham's government entered Downing Street with more political freedom on the issue, and a new energy secretary to decide. Jackdaw and Rosebank are not applications for new licences, strictly speaking, but a ruling on existing ones.
Last week Fahnbulleh announced that production could begin at the Jackdaw gas field. She said that over an expected 11-year life it would support the UK's gas supply, protect hundreds of jobs and add £2.9bn to the economy. Environmentalists said the decision would hamper efforts to tackle climate change and make "no meaningful difference" to energy security. The Scottish government, which once favoured a presumption against new drilling, gave Jackdaw a careful welcome.
A decision for one minister
The government insists such decisions are quasi-judicial and judged on strict environmental criteria. Within hours of the Jackdaw approval, though, a briefing campaign suggested Fahnbulleh was "minded" to reject Rosebank, and reports this week suggest Healey favours approval. Neither has said publicly what they think.
Fahnbulleh has said the decision is "a regulatory process not a policy process". "It sits heavy for such a big controversial decision because in the end only I can make it," she added.
Marra is also arguing for higher levies on banks in the Budget to help pay for cost of living support. That request looks set to be granted.
Source: BBC News