Ed Miliband plans to block North Sea oil drilling despite impending fuel shortages as prices skyrocket

George Bunn
Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:51:18 +0000

Ed Miliband is set to block new oil drilling in the North Sea despite warnings of impending fuel shortages.

Pressure is mounting on the the Energy Secretary to give the green light for new drilling licences in Jackdaw and Rosebank.

However, despite concerns over impending fuel shortages, surging oil prices and diminishing stocks, Mr Miliband is understood to be resisting the development of the Rosebank site.

According to sources close to the former Labour leader, he has also delayed a decision on a licence to drill at the Jackdaw gas field.

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The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero posted a statement online, saying: "The speculation today is wrong. No decisions on Jackdaw have been made, it is incorrect to suggest otherwise.

"The developers have confirmed the process is ongoing, and the independent regulator has recently requested further information before any final decision can be taken."

A decision is still awaited on the project, which was halted by a Supreme Court ruling in 2024 that emissions created by burning fossil fuels should be considered when granting planning permission for new drilling sites.

A challenge brought by environmental campaigners in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling, over approval for the Rosebank oil field north west of Shetland and the Jackdaw gas field off Aberdeen, was upheld at the Court of Session in Edinburgh in January last year.

Projects were able to reapply for consent after the Government published new environmental guidance last summer, and the Jackdaw project is currently being assessed by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (Opred) after further information was submitted.

Lord John Browne, former chief executive of BP, said the Jackdaw field should “absolutely” be approved.

He told the BBC: "We need all forms of energy, and we need to make sure that we have a diversified source. We don’t have enough diversification today to take care of crises in the future.

"The question of the North Sea, there are a couple of fields which are partly developed. They should be fully developed and go ahead."

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The decision to drill for oil in the North Sea Oil has not only been backed by Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch, who launched her "Fuel Britannia" campaign last month, but also SNP leader and Scottish First Minister John Swinney.

Speaking at a live recording of the Holyrood Sources podcast on Thursday, Mr Swinney appeared to change his stance following the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz.

He said: "I can’t give you a definitive answer on Jackdaw and Rosebank, because the climate compatibility assessment has got to be undertaken…

"What I’m saying to you is I think we’ve got to look at the geo-political situation that we now face and recognise that we are experiencing much greater risk to our energy security as a consequence of what’s happening there."

According to recent polling by Merlin for Looking for Growth, 74 per cent of Conservative voters and 73 per cent of Reform UK supporters back drilling in the North Sea.

This drops down to 51 per cent for Labour and 50 per cent for the Liberal Democrats. Meanwhile, 38 per cent of Green Party supporters support the extraction of oil from the North Sea.

Green leader Zack Polanski said: "If we want secure jobs, a safe climate for the future & true energy independence the only route is renewables.

"We know it works, it lower bills and makes us safe from energy shocks. We just need politicians brave enough to stand up to oil and gas lobby & their mates in Reform."

Reform's Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick told The Telegraph: "Keir Starmer needs to grow a backbone, overrule Ed Miliband and open up both Jackdaw and Rosebank immediately.

"It is completely mad that we are choosing not to exploit our own resources in the middle of an energy crisis."

One source close to Mr Miliband played down the rumours the Energy Secretary was looking to approve the development based on the fact that he did not consider it incompatible with the Government’s carbon reduction commitments.

They said: "He doesn’t have the full information currently, so it is categorically incorrect to say he is minded a particular way."

Information submitted on behalf of the project said that at peak production Jackdaw is expected to contribute around 6.5 per cent of UK Continental Shelf gas production, which would produce enough energy to heat more than 1.4 million homes.