Prime Minister Andy Burnham is facing a growing rebellion from his own MPs over plans to ban new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, with Labour backbenchers warning the policy threatens jobs, investment and Britain's energy security.
The backlash follows the introduction of the UK Government's Energy Independence Bill, which would prevent new exploration licences being issued despite Britain's continuing reliance on imported oil and gas.
Henry Tufnell, Labour MP for Mid and South Pembrokeshire, told The Times: 'We think that energy security is national security, we think it can bring huge benefits for economic growth and ultimately protect lots of jobs.
'The Labour Party was born of the industrial revolution, it’s the party of industry and there are lots of communities, jobs, livelihoods that rely on this industry.'
Graham Stringer, Labour MP for Blackley and Middleton South, was equally critical, saying: 'We’re going to be using fossil fuels for the foreseeable future. Importing fossil fuels when we’ve got our own is crazy and perverse.'
The criticism comes as new polling commissioned by Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) found that 65% of Labour voters at the 2024 general election support approval of the Rosebank oilfield west of Shetland.
Russell Borthwick, Chief Executive of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, said: 'In a week of increasingly contradictory energy policy, the so-called Energy Independence Bill must rank as one of the biggest political misnomers of all time.
'Rather than strengthening Britain's energy security, the Government is making us more dependent on imports from overseas to keep the lights on and the country running.'
He added: 'Our world-class energy supply chain is increasingly being forced overseas to find work, taking with it the people, skills and resources we desperately need to build our clean energy future.
'Nobody disputes the destination of a lower-carbon economy. But the current direction of travel is taking us over a cliff edge. We need to build a bridge from where we are today to where we want to be, rather than dismantling the foundations of our energy industry before its replacement is ready.
'It's time for ministers to reset the sat nav, put economic reality ahead of political dogma and recognise that genuine energy independence starts with making the most of the resources beneath our own waters.'
Source: Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce
