More than 60 Labour MPs back call to reject Rosebank

More than 60 Labour MPs have indicated support for an unsent letter urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to reject the Rosebank oil field, as the government prepares to decide whether it can proceed. The opposition exposes a party split over climate commitments, energy security and the cost of living, with a decision expected in the coming weeks.

About a dozen Labour MPs spoke against the project in a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday, organised by Green MP Carla Denyer. The debate did not include a vote. Sheffield Central MP Abtisam Mohamed argued that Rosebank would not strengthen energy security because most of its oil would be sold on international markets, and said it would not reduce household bills.

Former Labour frontbencher Richard Burgon said the project was incompatible with the UK’s climate targets. Anna Gelderd and Julia Buckley also urged ministers to reject it, while Buckley cited opposition from constituents in Shrewsbury.

The BBC reported that more than 60 of Labour’s roughly 400 MPs had indicated support for a letter opposing Rosebank. It is intended for Burnham but has not yet been sent. One signatory told the BBC that the project would bring minimal revenue to the Treasury and would not create new jobs.

There is also support within Labour for proceeding. Former veterans minister Al Carns said the UK would need fossil fuels for decades and that refusing to produce them domestically would increase reliance on imports. MPs representing communities with links to the oil and gas industry, including Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash, stressed the potential benefits for British jobs.

Energy minister Michael Shanks said the government would take a “pragmatic approach” to the transition, but would not make decisions incompatible with its climate obligations. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has said energy-bill affordability is her overriding objective. Burnham said on Wednesday that a decision would be “taken in due course”.

The decision formally rests with Fahnbulleh and is expected in the coming weeks. The UK government granted Rosebank’s licence in 2023, but the Court of Session ruled last year that the approval was unlawful, requiring a fresh decision. The court also ruled against the original approval for the Jackdaw gas field, which Fahnbulleh approved last month.

Labour’s 2024 manifesto pledged not to issue new licences to explore new fields; Rosebank’s licence was granted by the previous Conservative government. The project is among the North Sea developments awaiting a fresh decision after the court ruling. A previous account of the revised approval process and Rosebank’s pending status explains that the legal challenge concerned the failure to account for emissions from burning the extracted fuels.