'Closed for business': Tories brand Burnham's bill to outlaw new North Sea drilling 'dangerous' for Aberdeen
The bill also scraps household gas standing charges and shifts 75% of Renewables Obligation costs to public spending, while establishing a £2bn energy wealth fund for renewables investment.
Andy Burnham's Energy Independence Bill, introduced in Parliament on Wednesday, strips the North Sea Transition Authority of its power to grant exploration licences for new oil and gas — fulfilling a core Labour 2024 manifesto pledge. Shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie called the move "utterly delusional" and warned it would leave the UK "increasingly reliant on dirty imports". The bill must still clear a parliamentary vote before coming into force.
Rosebank, the UK's largest untapped oil field, will NOT be affected by the legislation; it already holds a 2022 approval that is currently under legal challenge.
The bill also scraps household gas standing charges, shifts 75% of Renewables Obligation costs to public spending, and establishes a £2bn energy wealth fund for renewables investment.
Farage is also reported to have condemned Labour's 'North Sea hypocrisy', adding pressure from the right as Aberdeen industry figures warn of 'devastation' for the region.
