Sir Keir Starmer has been told to “get serious” about economic growth and sign off two North Sea oil fields blocked by the courts.
Eco-campaigners Greenpeace and Uplift brought a challenge at the Court of Session in Edinburgh over decisions to give approval to the Rosebank oil field northwest of Shetland and the Jackdaw gas field off Aberdeen. The approval has since been ruled “unlawful” by a judge.
And now, the Prime Minister has been urged to overrule Ed Miliband’s 2024 decision to withdraw Government legal support for the oil companies involved in the court battle.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told the Mail: “The Labour Government who were banging on about growth yesterday are too scared to fight for the oil and gas fields that deliver energy security and jobs for thousands of people.
Keir Starmer has been told to ‘get serious’ after the crucial oilfield plans were thwarted
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“For the sake of our country, Keir Starmer needs to get serious. His actions so far are all hiking taxes and caving to the unions and the green lobby.”
On social media, she added: “This ruling is an act of self-harm. Yet more lawfare killing economic growth.”
Meanwhile, Tory energy spokesman Andrew Bowie said it was “almost inevitable after Ed Miliband refused to defend the case in court”.
He added: “Our energy security, economy and thousands of jobs are being sacrificed on the altar of Labour’s eco zealotry. So much for growth.”
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Kemi Badenoch warned that the PM’s ‘actions so far are all hiking taxes and caving to the unions and the green lobby’
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And a Reform UK Scotland spokesman told GB News: “This ruling is a total disaster for the North East of Scotland and further puts at risk thousands of jobs due to idiotic ideology over common sense.
“The SNP, Labour, Greens and Tories are obsessed with net zero madness which will make this country poorer and dependent on foreign exports.
“Reform UK has been clear – we back extraction, the oil and gas sector and for this development to go ahead along with others.
“Labour’s abandonment of the North East has been shameful.
‘Swift action is needed from the Government so that we and other North Sea operators can make decisions about vital UK energy infrastructure,’ a Shell spokesman warned
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”[Scottish Secretary] Ian Murray now has a choice to make – will he side with environmental extremists or workers in Scotland?”
The former Conservative Government approved Shell’s proposals to develop the Jackdaw field in 2022, and cleared Equinor and Ithaca Energy’s plans to drill in the Rosebank field in September 2023.
Greenpeace and Uplift brought the challenge to the court over concerns about the impact on climate change.
Reacting to the ruling, a Shell spokesman said: “We have spent more than £800million since the regulator approved Jackdaw in 2022. Swift action is needed from the Government so that we and other North Sea operators can make decisions about vital UK energy infrastructure.
“When operational, Jackdaw would provide enough fuel to heat 1.4 million UK homes, at a time when older gas fields are reaching the end of their production and the UK is reliant on imported gas to meet its energy needs.”
