Conservatives blast Ed Miliband’s ‘cult-like fanaticism’ over Net Zero as it ‘makes Britain weaker and poorer’

Both projects have been in legal limbo since January 2025, when a Scottish court ruled extraction could not proceed without further environmental assessments.

Licences for the sites were granted by the previous government and initially accepted by Labour, but both now require fresh approval.

Mr Miliband has ruled out new North Sea oil licences as part of his net zero agenda.

He previously described opening Rosebank as an act of "climate vandalism".

Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho has urged ministers to fast-track the projects, writing in The Telegraph that delaying them would be "lunacy".

She said: "We must fast-track Rosebank and Jackdaw and lift the onerous bans and taxes on the North Sea to back Britain’s energy security.

"Kemi Badenoch knows it and Keir Starmer knows it. Unfortunately, so far only one of them has had the courage to say so."

Pressure is also mounting from the energy industry as oil prices rise.

RenewableUK has urged the Government to take "energy out of the culture wars" and boost production.

Offshore Energies UK said oil and gas will play a "critical role" in Britain’s energy mix for decades.

Greg Jackson, chief executive of Octopus Energy, has also called for the North Sea to be reopened.

Labour-backed unions have raised concerns, warning more than 200,000 jobs rely directly or indirectly on the sector.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is understood to be among those in Cabinet pushing for increased North Sea output.

However, Mr Miliband faces the threat of a backbench rebellion and backlash from climate campaigners if he moves to fast-track new projects.

Last week, he told the BBC that new licences would not "take a penny off people's bills".

On Monday, Liberal Democrat MP Jamie Stone urged Sir Keir Starmer to intervene and approve new licences himself.

The Prime Minister said the decision rests with the Energy Secretary.

He added that "oil and gas will be part of the mix" and said the Government supports resources "already being brought at huge quantities".

"That doesn’t get us off the international market, unfortunately. The only thing that gets us truly off the international market is renewables, but it’s got to be a mix," Sir Keir said.

A Department for Net Zero spokesman told The Telegraph: "Our priority is to deliver a fair, orderly and prosperous transition in the North Sea in line with our climate and legal obligations, which drives our clean energy future of energy security, lower bills, and good long-term jobs."

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