Labour desperately needs to answer questions over North Sea oil and gas

Labour desperately needs to answer questions over North Sea oil and gas Dr Luke Evans asks, 'What is going on in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero?' Sign up to the Opinion Newsletter I agree to receive updates and information about my account, the GB News Community, and related products and services from GB News. Email address Sign up 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 A Freudian slip is defined as "an unintentional error regarded as revealing subconscious feelings." To many people watching the Budget last Wednesday, a Freudian slip is exactly what the Chancellor made when he referred to the recent approval of Jackdaw, the North Sea gas field, and said "Last week the Energy Secretary opposed… approved Jackdaw".

Our new Energy Secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, who worked under Ed Miliband, has previously spoken against new oil or gas fields, so it was a (pleasant) surprise to many that she granted permission for drilling in Jackdaw. This is where the Chancellor’s slip reveals something: was it the intention of Fahnbulleh to approve Jackdaw, or was she overridden? TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say And if she was overridden, who applied the pressure?

Was it our new Prime Minister, or his Chancellor John Healey, who will have been looking to boost tax receipts ahead of the Budget? While these are not decisions made by the Prime Minister, over the past few months we have seen Andy Burnham take more of a pragmatic approach than Keir Starmer, who included the ban on new licences in Labour’s 2024 manifesto. Our new Prime Minister has framed the issue around energy security and British jobs, leaving the door open to both projects.

With the tax burden at its highest on record and growth for 2027 downgraded from 1.6 per cent to just 1 per cent, it’s little wonder that the Chancellor would be looking for revenue raisers, like Jackdaw and Rosebank. The Chancellor made a Freudian slip when he referred to the recent approval of Jackdaw | PA It’s entirely feasible that the Energy Secretary has changed her mind from when she said "we can’t have any new oil or gas fields" and called using fossil fuels "irresponsible and shortsighted," but the Chancellor’s slip-up does raise questions.

And that’s not the only question being raised about the Energy Department from the Budget this week. Page 93 of the Office for Budget Responsibility's post-Budget report says oil and gas tax receipts for 2026/27 are "based on the North Sea Transition Authority's (NSTA) projection for total oil and gross gas production… which includes Rosebank". But what’s curious is that permission to drill at Rosebank, the large oil field off the Shetland Islands, has not yet been granted.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Labour approves Jackdaw gas field after months of speculation Donald Trump hails 'great news' of Jackdaw gas field and urges Andy Burnham to go 'full blast' Rachel Reeves 'welcomes' Labour decision on Jackdaw Permission to drill at Rosebank, the large oil field off the Shetland Islands, has not yet been granted | REUTERS Which, once again, begs the question… what is going on in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero?

When pressed in the House of Lords the day after the Budget by Conservative Lords about the inclusion of Rosebank tax receipts in the Budget papers, the Government Minister admitted it would "need to be addressed" and "The OBR will have to republish the figures if Rosebank does not go ahead". The Government has kept relatively quiet about Rosebank, with Burnham saying in the House of Commons – just minutes before the Budget – that it "was obviously a matter for the Energy Secretary" and a decision would be made "in due course".

Miatta Fahnbulleh has previously spoken against new oil or gas fields | GETTY So what does the Energy Secretary think? Well, only last week, DESNZ officials told the Guardian that Fahnbulleh was "minded to refuse" Rosebank. But if it is the case that the decision-maker is considering refusing Rosebank, why is the Treasury including expected tax revenue that would be raised from that very field in its financial calculations? And in the event that Rosebank is rejected, what does that mean for the financial projections the Treasury has made?

Will they be forced to cut funding, will they borrow more to fill the gap or raise taxes yet again? The Conservatives have been very clear about what Labour should do: approve Rosebank, overturn the ban on new oil and gas licences in the North Sea and enact our Cheap Power plan. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter Opinion Our enemies could cripple Britain without firing a shot – and ministers are not ready Opinion Shabana Mahmood's U-turn proves sometimes a climbdown is right – now Reform and Tories must rethink ECHR exit Opinion Andy Burnham should be Britain's greatest defender instead of backing those saying our country is stained Opinion Britain must tell Caribbean nations demanding slavery reparations NO – Andy Burnham's intervention is a disgrace Opinion Labour's chilling Orwellian legislation could backfire on the women it is supposed to protect Opinion Andy Burnham has given reparations campaigners exactly what they wanted – and Britain could pay the price Opinion Andy Burnham must follow Donald Trump's lead and slam Britain's door shut as 10,000 migrants arrive Opinion I’ve toured America ahead of the midterms – and there’s one thing that could decide Donald Trump’s fate Opinion Alastair Stewart: Memories, Friendship and a Week of Reflections Opinion GB News spent a week listening to Britain and the message to Westminster is clear Opinion Labour is failing women in towns like Middlesbrough and £15m won't make them safer Opinion Andy Burnham and John Healey have already run out of ideas – and Britain is paying the price Opinion Britain cannot defend itself with John Healey's empty promises and wishful thinking Opinion Donald Trump’s border chief has exposed the main flaw in Britain’s border policy Opinion Andy Burnham's U-turn on EU free movement may prove irreparable with working-class voters Analysis Opinion How King Charles navigated the slavery question on his Bahamas visit Opinion Israel’s election won’t change the fundamentals of war and peace in the Middle East Opinion A whopping £1.75 a month in supermarket savings?

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