Jackdaw gas field: Labour approves drilling after months of speculation

Labour approves Jackdaw gas field after months of speculation Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the move will protect 'hundreds of jobs' and keep 'millions of homes warm this winter' Sign up to the Politics Newsletter Email address Sign up I agree to receive updates and information about my account, the GB News Community, and related products and services from GB News. By signing up you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and Community Rules. Thank you for signing up! See the latest from GB News here . Choose GB News on Google - add us as a preferred source Choose GB News Support GB News Champion free speech and independent journalism while unlocking exclusive benefits. Support us Labour has approved new gas drilling at the Jackdaw site after months of speculation. The site, off the coast of Aberdeen, is one of two North Sea projects, alongside the Rosebank oil field, that have hung over Labour since the previous Tory Government was halted by a legal challenge. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he "welcomes" the approval, which will protect "hundreds of jobs" and keep "millions of homes warm this winter". He said: "At a time when people are really struggling, it’s right that we look in a responsible way at maximising the existing energy reserves we have in Britain that could help. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say "We’re committed to moving towards renewable energy and reaching net zero by 2050. But even on our ambitious climate path, we’ll still require oil and gas as part of our energy needs for decades to come." Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has confirmed that the approved Jackdaw gas field will begin to supply Britons as soon as "this winter". She said in a statement: "Following careful consideration of all relevant factors, I have agreed that the regulator can grant consent for gas to be produced at Jackdaw, which will begin to supply the UK with gas from this winter thanks to the highly skilled and vital North Sea workers." Alongside Jackdaw being greenlit, Chancellor John Healey has announced a new Energy Wealth Fund. Andy Burnham has greenlit the use of Jackdaw gas field | GETTY / PA The fund will use tax revenues from North Sea oil and gas to invest in renewable and low carbon energy projects and support the green transition. Mr Healey said of the new scheme: "I want Britain's energy wealth to spark a new wave of clean power to work for the British people. "Since North Sea gas and oil were discovered decades ago, the benefit of our existing nation’s natural resources have not been turned into the long-term investment our country needs. "Through our new Energy Wealth Fund, we will invest in the clean energy industries of the future, creating jobs, driving growth and strengthening Britain's energy security." LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Protesters descend on Department of Energy after Labour's Jackdaw approval Shabana Mahmood faces pressure from Labour frontbenchers to water down 'Boriswave' migrant crackdown Andy Burnham urged to clarify stance on Jonathan Powell after wife 'backed Palestine Action' Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has confirmed that the approved Jackdaw gas field will begin to supply Britons as soon as 'this winter' | GETTY Tory leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the length of time taken by the Labour Government to reach a decision on the gas field. She said Labour spent two years "faffing about to make a decision" which the Conservative Government had already approved. She said: "If they’d done this in the summer, we’d have had that gas heating British homes this Christmas. An unnecessary waste of time and money by a party that puts its own interest above the country’s." Echoing Mrs Badenoch, Shadow Energy Secretary Andrew Bowie told GB News there is "a lot more to be done". Fossil Free London has staged a protest outside the Department for Energy headquarters | POOL Protesters from Fossil Free London have also descended on the Department of Energy in central London to oppose the move , chanting: "Hey Andy, stop gas and oil. Keep that carbon in the soil." Director of Fossil Free London Robin Wells said: "This decision is salted with the tears of every Nepalese person who saw someone they loved swept away in a river tsunami and it’s stained with the blood of everyone in Valencia who died as cars afloat in mud, sewage and enough rainwater for a year collided into their bodies in streets that had become rivers. "Although we cannot right now hear people in Australia, LA and Portugal crying in fear as their homes and worlds burn, these are the knock-on consequences of corporations that continue to drill fossil fuels and the governments that permit it, knowing the damage caused. "Our government must not double down on madness now. They must not lap-up industry propaganda again for the next North Sea project in their in-tray. If they believe in a future that protects people's homes and safety, not endangers them, they must stop Rosebank." 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