Kemi Badenoch demanded Keir Starmer ramps up North Sea oil and gas today as Britain faces the fallout of the Middle East energy crisis.
In a bruising PMQs session, the Tory leader insisted Sir Keir could increase production within months by approving the Rosebank and Jackdaw projects.
She insisted that ‘everyone’ including unions, Tony Blair’s think-tank and even the renewables industry supported the move.
Sir Keir said there was a ‘legal process’ which meant Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband was responsible for taking the decision.
He said that oil and gas was still coming from the North Sea ’24 hours a day’, but stressed he wanted the UK to transition to clean power.
But Mrs Badenoch shot back reminding Sir Keir that he was the PM, asking if he was going to let Mr Miliband ‘run the government’.
Labour has allowed current operations in the North Sea to continue, but imposed a ban on new exploration licences.
Mrs Badenoch asked: ‘Will the Prime Minister approve the licences for Rosebank and Jackdaw gas fields in the North Sea?’
Prime Minister Sir Keir replied: ‘Under statute, that is a matter for the Secretary of State, as she knows, because it’s the same arrangements as were in place under the last government.’
He later told the Commons: ‘We need to take control of our energy prices.
‘The only way to do that is through renewables. The party opposite used to make that argument.
‘One of their one of their senior figures in 2022 said this, ”it’s investment in nuclear and renewables that will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and keep our consumer costs down”.
‘Who was that senior figure? The leader of the Opposition.’
Mrs Badenoch said: ‘The Jackdaw gas field could be up and running before winter. All that gas would be used here in the UK to heat 1.6million homes – that is enough to power Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex put together.
‘So will the Prime Minister approve the licences or is the Energy Secretary running the Government?’
The PM replied: ‘It’s absolutely clear that the quasi-judicial duty of the legislation rests with the Secretary of State.’
He said: ‘Let’s be clear, when Russia invaded Ukraine, energy prices doubled. The 12-day war, oil prices hit £100 a barrel. In the last four weeks because we’re on the fossil fuel rollercoaster, everybody has been held to ransom.
‘The only way forward is to go further and faster on renewables and the leader of the Opposition’s approach is to outsource our foreign policy and let the US decide whether we go to war, to outsource our energy policy to Russia and Iran and let them set the price of energy. I will never do that, because it’s not in the British national interest.’
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