Labour finally approves the Jackdaw gas field after months of dithering, with gas set to reach homes 'this winter'
A North Sea oil and gas rig like those in the Jackdaw field, which Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh approved despite admitting the decision "won't mean cheaper bills.
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh announced that Jackdaw, situated around 150 miles off the Aberdeen coast, will begin supplying UK homes this winter, potentially as soon as late October. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the project will protect 'hundreds of jobs' and keep 'millions of homes warm'. The approval sits in tension with Labour's manifesto commitment to halt all new oil and gas projects. Ministers argue Jackdaw does not qualify as new, pointing to its original 2022 approval.
Aberdeen workers welcomed the decision: 'Jackdaw means we pay our mortgages.'
Green Party leader Zack Polanski branded the decision 'disastrous', saying it 'will do nothing to lower bills'.
Shadow Energy Secretary Andrew Bowie says it 'should be the start, not the end', and wants Rosebank approved too.
