Exclusive: Labour pledge backed by 139 organisations including environmental groups, trade unions and Women’s Institute
Kiran Stacey
Keir Starmer’s promise to block new North Sea oil and gas exploration has received the backing of an eclectic range of high-profile groups, including environmental campaigners, trade unions and even the Women’s Institute.
The Labour leader is set to unveil his net zero energy policies during a speech in Scotland this month, including a radical pledge to ban all North Sea oil and gas licences.
The promise is a key plank of Labour’s environmental platform, but has sparked anger among business and political leaders in the north-east of Scotland, where the industry is concentrated.
The Labour leader is being urged to stick to the plan in a letter signed by 139 organisations, including the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the National Federation of Women’s Institutes.
The groups write: “We urge you to stand firm on Labour’s policy of no new oil and gas developments and its significant investment in well-planned, nature-positive renewables and energy efficiency, and to confirm more details on how Labour will support workers to transition from fossil fuels to good quality, secure green jobs during your speech in June.”
Shadow ministers confirmed last month that the party intended to ban new domestic oil and gas developments as part of its strategy to achieve zero-carbon power by 2030. Starmer will formally announce the pledge as part of a speech later this month setting out his green agenda in more detail.
But the plans have attracted criticism from the Conservatives, the leader of the GMB union, as well as Aberdeen-based business leaders.
Grant Shapps said the plan was an “ideological vendetta against British energy independence”, saying it would risk jobs and boost Russia’s global power. Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, has said it would be “economically illiterate” not to invest in new UK oil and gas.
The energy secretary is due to make a decision in the next few weeks over whether to approve drilling at the giant Rosebank oil field off Shetland. Sunak’s comments have been interpreted as a sign the government is prepared to give it the green light, although investors have said Labour’s green policies could make it less attractive to investors.
The GMB union general secretary, Gary Smith, said Labour’s policies “are going to create a cliff edge with oil and gas extraction from the North Sea”. Speaking on Sky News on Sunday morning after the shadow business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, defended the party’s plans to ban oil and gas production, Smith described Labour as “naive”.
In an article for the Times, Ryan Crighton, the policy director of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, wrote: “If the alternative is importing, at a greater carbon cost, then surely the UK should always favour domestic production, where we can control the regulatory environment.”skip past newsletter promotion
The high-profile opposition to Labour’s plans has caused concern among environmental groups, with Labour having recently backtracked on a range of other policies, including a pledge to abolish university tuition fees. Starmer is also under pressure from some of his frontbench to change the remit of the party’s £28bn climate fund to allow it to invest in infrastructure projects that are not explicitly green in nature.
Tessa Khan, the founder of Uplift, a group that campaigns for the UK to move away from fossil fuels, and which signed the letter, said: “We were disturbed by the way in which Labour’s position to oppose development of new oil and gas field has come under attack in the last week.
“We wanted to make it clear that it is a core position of the climate sector and more broadly among different sectors in the UK. It’s a mainstream position and backed up by climate science.”
The UK Labour party has confirmed that, if it wins the next general election, it will block all new domestic oil and gas developments, instead investing “heavily” in renewable sources including wind and nuclear, the Guardian reports. The paper continues: “[The proposal] will involve not just a ban on new North Sea oil and gas licences, but a pledge that any borrowing for investment should be limited to green schemes…This will not stop drilling on projects that have already been approved, with the exception of the Rosebank and Cambo schemes, which Labour has said previously it would block.” According to the Sunday Times, which first broke the story, the move is part of Sir Keir Starmer’s “radical blueprint to make Britain a ‘clean energy superpower’”. The newspaper says that Starmer is expected to set out his net net-zero energy policy – including the ban on new oil and gas licences – when he launches his latest “national mission” in Scotland next month. It adds: “The party expects the plan to create up to half a million jobs in the renewables industry, including at least 50,000 in Scotland. The move is expected to offset developments in the dwindling North Sea oil and gas fields that directly employ more than 20,000 workers and provide an estimated further 200,000 jobs onshore.” Separately, the Times says Starmer’s decision has been met with “fury” from industry, business and political leaders in the northeast of Scotland. According to the Daily Mail, Tory critics say the move would “leave Britain more reliant on foreign energy imports and cost thousands of jobs”. The Sun also says the plan puts thousands of jobs “at risk”. Separately, the outlet accuses Starmer of “pandering to eco-loons”. The Times reports that Scottish Labour has opposed the announcement, urging Starmer not to “impose a cliff-edge end to oil and gas production” in the North Sea. The Daily Telegraph reports that “a major oil-drilling project in the North Sea worth up to £24bn to the economy could be abandoned” in the wake of Starmer’s announcement. The National adds: “Former first minister Alex Salmond dubbed the Labour leader ‘the North Sea job destroyer’ and said every future development should be given consent – but only if it has carbon capture plans in place.” The Scotsman says the plan has been branded “pie in the sky”. And the Financial Times says “the head of the GMB union, one of Labour’s biggest donors, has called on party leader Keir Starmer to scrap plans to ban all new North Sea fossil fuel extraction licences”.
In other UK news, the Guardian reports that Ukraine built more onshore wind turbines in the past year than England. The paper quotes Ed Miliband, the shadow climate change secretary, saying: “This extraordinary revelation is a terrible indictment of Rishi Sunak and his staggering failure to end the onshore wind ban.” Separately, a Guardian “exclusive” reports that “more than 80% of households that have replaced their gas boilers with an electric heat pump are satisfied with their new heating system”. The Daily Telegraph reports that “British households will be asked to voluntarily cut their electricity usage again as Europe faces up to another winter without Russian gas supplies”. And the Times reports that Britain is “the private jet capital of Europe”.
Gary Smith of the GMB, a key Labour donor, says plan shows ‘lack of intellectual rigour’
Ben Quinn
The head of a union that is one of Labour’s biggest donors has accused the party of “being naive” over its plans to ban North Sea oil and gas production.
Labour has pledged to block all new domestic oil and gas developments if it wins power, proposing instead to invest heavily in renewable sources such as wind and also in nuclear power.
The proposals, which Keir Starmer is expected to set out formally on a visit to Scotland this month, will involve not only a ban on new North Sea oil and gas licences but also a pledge that any borrowing for investment should be limited to green schemes.
But Gary Smith, the general secretary of the GMB union, said on Sunday that the party had “got it wrong” and risked creating “a cliff-edge with oil and gas extraction from the North Sea”.
“We are critical friends of the Labour party and I think this is just a lack of intellectual rigour and thinking about where they have got to on oil and gas,” he said on Sophie Ridge On Sunday on Sky News. “They are focusing on what they think is popular rather than doing the proper thinking to understand what is right for the country.”
He said the sector had been promised tens of thousands of jobs in renewable energy “time and time again” but that they “simply have not emerged”, adding: “That has been the sorry state of the renewables industry around the country.”
The shadow business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said earlier on the same programme that the existing oil and gas fields in the North Sea would run until 2050 and the party was not talking about turning those off.
“We are against further new licences being granted and that’s because it won’t do anything for bills, it won’t do anything for energy security, it’s not a long-term answer to jobs and clearly it would be a climate disaster,” Reynolds said.
“We have got to understand that the opportunity in front of us, the number of jobs created from clean energy, is far in excess of the existing directly employed workforce in North Sea oil and gas. So it’s not some sort of consolation prize, this is the big prize, the big chance to do that, and we will work with Gary in providing this country with a better transition.”
Herald Scotland
Sun, 4 June 2023
Workers in North East going to be 'very worried' by Labour's 'naïve' oil and gas ban (Image: PA)
WORKERS in the North East are going to be “very worried” about Labour’s “naive” calls for an oil and gas ban, the leader of the GMB has warned.
Gary Smith said the policy to block all new licenses would create a “cliff edge” for the industry.
According to reports last weekend, Sir Keir Starmer will announce the plan later this month when he outlines his “national mission” to cut the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels.
Instead, the party would rely solely on existing oil and gas wells over the coming decades and “manage them sustainably as we transform the UK into a clean energy superpower.”
READ MORE: Keir Starmer oil and gas ban plan blasted by sector and unions
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Mr Smith said this was shortsighted: “There is a lot of oil and gas in the North Sea and the alternatives facing the country are that we either produce our own oil and gas – take responsibility for our carbon emissions – or we are going to import more oil and gas.
“I think workers in the petrochemical industry… are going to be very worried about what Labour are saying and I think it is time for Labour to focus on the right thing rather than what they think is the popular thing.”
He said that the sector had been promised “tens of thousands of jobs” in renewable energy “time and time again” but that they “simply have not emerged”, adding: “That has been the sorry state of the renewables industry around the country.”
Mr Smith said there was a “lack of intellectual rigour” behind the plans.
“I think Labour have been naive,” he added.
“They’re just focusing on what they think is popular rather than doing the proper thinking to understand what is right for the country,” he added.
READ MORE: Scottish Labour back Starmer's oil and gas ban despite union concern
Earlier this week, it emerged that despite Scottish Labour backing the plan, members of the MSP group were split.
Pauline McNeill and Michael Marra reportedly raised concerns.
A party insider told the Daily Record: “We can’t afford to be out of touch with communities in the North East of Scotland, or playing reckless games with 70,000 jobs.
“Until there is a credible pathway to net zero, we will rely on current levels of production for decades to come. That’s the reality Keir Starmer and Ed Miliband must understand if they are serious about Scotland.”
Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds defended the proposals. He told BBC One’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “We will see in the North Sea existing oil and gas fields continue to produce well up until 2050 for the 28,000 directly employed people in that sector, they’ll continue to work in that sector.
“But the big opportunity comes from the transition and we don’t think further new oil and gas fields are the answer.
"First of all because they won’t do anything for bills, they won’t do anything for our energy security, they cost a lot of public subsidy, they clearly will be a climate disaster, but also there are better alternatives available.”
Mr Reynolds said there is a need to be “embracing that change”, which includes renewables and green steel, adding: “The number of jobs that will be created by that is far in excess of the jobs currently there.”
Labour plans to block new North Sea oil and gas developments as Starmer vows to make UK 'clean energy superpower'
28 May 2023
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce that a Labour government would block all new North Sea oil and gas developments as he plans to make Britain a "clean energy superpower".
will set out his net zero energy policy in next month, which is expected to represent a radical shift in the energy policy.
The pledge will be one of to the electorate during the next general election.
The current has signalled it will continue to back further oil and gas contracts, signalling a clear divide between the two main parties.
Sir Keir is also set to announce that his government would only borrow money for investments.
A Labour source told the Sunday Times: "We are against the granting of new licences for oil and gas in the North Sea.
"They will do nothing to cut bills, as the Tories have acknowledged.
"They undermine our energy security and would drive a coach and horse through our climate targets.
"But Labour would continue to use existing oil and gas wells over the coming decades and manage them sustainably as we transform the UK into a clean energy superpower."
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Some 50,000 jobs would be created in Scotland under the plan, with another 450,000 across the country.
Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary, told Sky on Sunday that his party will over the coming weeks outline "how we want to invest in green jobs of the future".
He said it is not about "shutting down what's going on at the moment", but rather ensuring current developments are managed "sustainably".
He added: "We know we've got to move to more renewable sources of energy, it's important for our climate change commitments but it's also the way in which we can bring energy bills down for consumers."
In its draft energy strategy published in January, the Scottish Government said there "should be a presumption against new exploration for oil and gas", as it proposed making the "fastest possible just transition".
have already welcomed the announcement, which is in line with their demands to end all new oil and gas contracts.
A spokesperson said: "Direction action works.
"We will hold Labour to this promise, and continue to push our genocidal government to drop their indefensible policy of new oil and gas."
A Just Stop Oil protestor previously told LBC that the group would stop carrying out direct action if a Labour government was put into power, provided they stick to stopping all new North Sea oil and gas developments.
Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly on the verge of announcing that no new licences would be granted by a Labour government.
Blocking new oil and gas projects in the North Sea would cost Scots £1,100 each, the Conservatives said as they took aim at Sir Keir Starmer’s reported plans for the industry.
Sir Keir is reportedly on the verge of announcing that no new licences would be granted by a Labour government as part of its net-zero energy policy he is due to set out next month.
The Scottish Conservatives said analysis of plans to end exploration revealed it would cost the Scottish economy an estimated £6bn by 2030.
Liam Kerr, the party’s energy spokesman, said the move would “devastate communities across the north east and hammer every Scot to the tune of £1,100”.
Describing such a proposal as “economically illiterate, short-sighted and a betrayal of the north east”, Mr Kerr claimed only the Tories would deliver a transition to net-zero which safeguards communities, jobs and Scotland’s energy security.
He added: “Labour’s policy means, of course, we’d need to import oil and gas from overseas to meet our energy needs, which would increase our carbon footprint, as well as throwing tens of thousands of skilled workers under the bus.
“We already knew that the SNP and Greens had abandoned oil and gas workers, but as it’s the Westminster Government who decide on granting new licences, it’s Keir Starmer and Labour who would deliver a hammer blow to Scotland’s economy if they won the next general election.”
The Tories said the £6bn figure came from the Scottish Government’s energy strategy report which was published earlier this year.
According to The Sunday Times, Labour would also only borrow to invest in green enterprises, and it expects its plans to create up to half a million jobs in the renewables industry, including 50,000 in Scotland.
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