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Labour MPs urge rejection of Rosebank oil field as decision nears
BBC reports about a dozen Labour MPs opposed Rosebank in a Westminster Hall debate as ministers prepare a decision, with some backbenchers drafting a letter of opposition.
- New headline Was: “'Not the answer': Labour MPs speak out against Rosebank as decision looms”
- Our desk filed its story
Labour MPs called on the UK government to reject the Rosebank oil field off Shetland, saying approval would clash with climate commitments, as ministers prepare a decision expected in the coming weeks1.
BBC reported a growing expectation among senior Labour figures that drilling will be allowed1. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Wednesday a decision would be taken in due course, while Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said affordability of energy bills was her overriding objective1.
About a dozen Labour MPs raised concerns during a Westminster Hall debate, a backbench forum that does not vote, organized by Green MP Carla Denyer1. Separately, some Labour backbenchers have organized a letter opposing Rosebank intended for Burnham that has not been sent; more than 60 of about 400 Labour MPs have indicated they support it, BBC reported1.
One unnamed signatory told BBC that approving the field would not create new jobs, would bring little money to the Treasury and would be bad for the climate1. "The government's central aim is to tackle the cost of living crisis, and drilling for more oil at Rosebank isn't the answer," the MP said1.
If production is approved, oil and gas would be pumped through a large ship at the field off the north-west coast of Shetland1. Fahnbulleh holds the formal decision; she approved production at the Jackdaw gas field last month1.
Labour's 2024 manifesto pledged not to issue new licences to explore new fields1. Licences for Jackdaw and Rosebank were granted by the then Conservative government in 2022 and 20231. The Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled last year that those approvals were unlawful, leaving the current government to decide again1.
Other Labour MPs backed producing more oil at home1. Former veterans minister Al Carns said Britain would still need fossil fuels for decades and that refusing domestic production would increase imports1. Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash stressed jobs tied to oil and gas1.
Energy minister Michael Shanks told the debate the government would take a pragmatic approach and would not make decisions incompatible with climate obligations1. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch raised Labour divisions at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, BBC said1.