#UKpolitics #Rosebank #Starmer #NewOil
"PM faces growing internal backlash over potential approval of Rosebank oilfield"
by Jessica Elgot, Kiran Stacey, Helena Horton and Libby Brooks for the Guardian [Feb 3, 2025]
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/03/pm-faces-growing-internal-backlash-over-potential-approval-of-rosebank-oilfield
Quotes:
"Labour MPs describe ‘breaking point’ in relations, calling for Keir Starmer to stand by party’s manifesto commitments"
"Keir Starmer is facing a growing internal backlash over the potential approval of a giant new oilfield, after Treasury sources indicated #RachelReeves was likely to give it her backing."
"The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, has previously described the licence issued to Rosebank as “climate vandalism” – setting up a potential major clash between his department and the Treasury."
"Miliband’s department is due to publish new guidelines in late spring which could scupper any attempt by the oil companies to successfully resubmit their applications."
"It is understood the Labour Growth Group – a large influential caucus of mostly new Labour MPs who have pushed hard on announcements on housing and infrastructure – will not take a position backing Rosebank."
"MPs said more criticism would be forthcoming if approval was being pushed by the Treasury. “This is absolutely a line in the sand for almost everyone in the PLP. This goes specifically against what we said we were about,” one MP said.
“This would be a breaking point for a lot of us,” another MP said. A third said: “We have to send a signal to workers, not just oil giants, that we know what [energy] transition really means. If we don’t build up domestic supply chains and manufacturing for renewables, oil workers will have nowhere to go. They won’t thank us for that.”
"A fourth Labour MP said it was important to make the case that new oilfields should not be seen as an automatic growth advantage. “You’re banking on what could potentially very quickly become stranded assets, and the profits go to private companies but it’s the public sector that will end up clearing up the mess.
“That is not a good investment and I think there are some of my colleagues that sort of think that all growth is good and that’s actually economically illiterate."
"“The new intake are very clear. If Trump is closing his door on green investment, we should be opening the door to green investment. The Americans are going to miss out. We don’t want to.”
The backlash against Rosebank would be “much much bigger” than on Heathrow, another MP said. “It says a worrying thing about our political strategy,” they said. “There was a quite clear line on all of this stuff. And then if you get panicked just by a couple of headlines in the Daily Mail, then that as a narrative feels a bit worrying.”
"Five Labour MPs, including three who chair different all-party parliamentary groups on climate and renewable energy, wrote a letter to the Times on Monday, criticising the automatic link made between new oil fields and economic growth – with a veiled reminder of Labour’s green electoral platform."
"Another member of the climate APPG, MP Uma Kumaran, tweeted after the ruling: “Britain’s future lies in clean energy, not more oil and gas."
"Two other key factors will be the view of Scottish Labour and the GMB trade union who are pushing hard for the development to be approved. A significant number of cabinet ministers are members of GMB.
Scottish Labour leader #AnasSarwar has hinted he expects the government to honour the previous commitment to grant the licence – but a number of new Scottish Labour MPs are opposed."
"Tessa Khan, founder of climate campaign group Uplift, which brought the case against Rosebank, said she was confident the guidance would preclude the new oilfields. She said: “We think the climate case against Rosebank is watertight – there is just no way you can accept we are in a climate emergency and approve a massive new oilfield.”
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#StopBurningThings #StopEcoside
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