Keir Starmer pledges to end North Sea exploration and let areas profit from clean power
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is set to make a pledge to stop new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea whilst ensuring communities benefit from clean energy projects.
Sir Keir will speak in Edinburgh later, telling the public Labour will “cut bills, create jobs and provide energy security”. He will also announce that a publicly-owned green energy company will be headquartered in Scotland.
He is under pressure from environmentalists and the oil industry regarding the extent and pace of the transition.
Labour has been criticised in recent times for scaling back on its commitment to investing £28 billion per year in green industries.
If Labour wins the next general election, they plan to eliminate planning rules that currently impede the development of new onshore wind farms in England.
Labour has confirmed that it will not issue licenses for exploring new fields in the North Sea, marking a significant shift for an industry that supports 200,000 jobs in the UK, including 90,000 in Scotland according to Offshore Energies UK.
However, the party maintains that it will honour any existing licenses at the time of the next election, which must take place by January 2025. This likely includes the controversial Rosebank development off the west coast of Shetland.