Scottish Labour leadership rivals back quick approval for North Sea drilling licences
Scotland’s Labour leadership contest has taken a sharp turn toward energy policy, with both candidates urging UK ministers to approve new North Sea drilling ...
Scotland’s Labour leadership contest has taken a sharp turn toward energy policy, with both candidates urging UK ministers to approve new North Sea drilling licences for the Rosebank oil and Jackdaw gas fields as soon as possible. The call puts jobs and energy security at the centre of a debate that has also drawn fierce criticism from climate campaigners.
Leadership race meets energy row
MSPs Joe Fagan and Michael Marra, the only two candidates to secure enough nominations to stand, both said the projects should be backed without delay. Their comments came after a hustings in Stirling, as the pair seek to replace Anas Sarwar, who announced he was joining Andy Burnham’s UK government via the House of Lords.
Monica Lennon had also hoped to enter the race, but she failed to win enough support from fellow Labour MSPs. The leadership contest now runs with a narrower field than some in the party expected, and the drilling issue has quickly become a test of how the next Scottish Labour leader wants to balance climate policy against industrial concerns.
What the contenders are arguing
Fagan and Marra both said Rosebank and Jackdaw offered cleaner methods of extraction than could be relied upon abroad. They argued that approving the licences would help support jobs in Scotland and beyond, a line that mirrors the offshore industry’s long-running case for continued investment in the basin.
The industry has lobbied hard for the projects, stressing economic and energy security benefits. That message has found a receptive audience among some politicians worried about domestic supply and the wider pressure on European energy markets since the war in Ukraine. But the argument is far from settled.
Environmental groups say more drilling sits uneasily with efforts to tackle climate change. For them, approving new fields sends the wrong signal at a moment when governments are under pressure to accelerate cleaner energy systems and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Rosebank, in particular, has become a flashpoint in that wider debate.
Decision now with UK ministers
UK Labour ministers are expected to decide on both projects after consultations closed in recent weeks. The timing matters. A green light would be welcomed by the offshore sector, but it would also hand fresh ammunition to critics who say Labour is softening its climate stance for the sake of industrial jobs.
The outcome will carry weight well beyond Scotland. North Sea approvals have become a test case for how centre-left parties navigate the clash between transition politics and energy security. For Labour in Scotland, the first real signal may come soon, and the pressure is already building.
