Prime Minister must remember who is in charge and make crucial decision for the sake of energy security, writes Harriet Cross
Ideology over delivery. That is the foundation on which this Labour Government is built.
As the Iran war continues, many countries face the reality of increased costs for oil and gas, but also the vulnerability of not having a domestic oil and gas supply. The UK is lucky. We have reserves off our east coast, under the North Sea. We are less lucky, however, that we have a government unwilling to use it.
That means facing reality and approving the Jackdaw gas and Rosebank oil fields, which Ed Miliband is stalling on.
In total, 75% of Britain’s energy comes from oil and gas. But Labour’s crusade against North Sea oil and gas through industry-crushing taxes and their arbitrary and senseless ban on new sites has meant Britain’s oil and gas industry is disappearing before our very eyes. And with it billions in tax revenue and tens of thousands of jobs.
This flies in the face of common sense. It leaves us reliant on imports, hitting households even harder when supply chains are destroyed or manipulated.
For some, it goes beyond energy bills, as my constituents of Gordon and Buchan know, with the North Sea oil and gas industry losing on average 1,000 jobs a month.
It also makes no sense for fighting climate change, as imports of gas are four times more carbon-intensive.
Jackdaw and Rosebank are also not in some long-distant future that won’t come online for decades. If approved today, they could be producing oil and gas by the end of the year.
So why won’t Keir Starmer put the British people first and approve drilling? Because the real prime minister, Ed Miliband, won’t allow it.
The only thing that matters to Ed Miliband is his self-aggrandising net zero targets, which he seems to believe stop Jackdaw and Rosebank, even though we will still require oil and gas if we are to make net zero by 2050.
It doesn’t matter if this punishes the British people. It doesn’t matter if the energy industry is begging him to abandon it. It doesn’t matter if it hinders the rollout of wind and solar by undermining the vital energy supply chains.
In this Government, if Ed wants it, he gets it, no matter the sacrifice to the British people.
I should be clear – that doesn’t mean we don’t believe the climate is changing, or that we should shun renewables. To protect households and bolster our security, we need as much domestically produced energy as possible, including nuclear, solar or wind.
But that also means oil and gas.
Sacrificing economic growth, the prosperity of the nation, and driving up energy bills just so Ed has a nice soundbite is beyond ridiculous.
Keir Starmer must remember he is the Prime Minister, stand up to Miliband, and approve Rosebank and Jackdaw for the sake of the British public and energy security.
Harriet Cross is MP for Gordon and Buchan
