The Scottish Conservatives have called for incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham to take “time-critical” action on UK oil and gas ahead of his expected coronation on Monday.
Labour sources are hopeful Keir Starmer’s successor is in “listening mode” over new licences for oil and gas fields in the North Sea.
But there is still uncertainty over the Labour government’s position because the current net zero secretary Ed Miliband is expected to continue to play a key part in the next Cabinet.
Miliband withdrew government legal support for Rosebank and Jackdaw in 2024, which put their approvals on hold.
The six Scottish Conservative representatives for the North East have jointly written to Burnham, urging the incoming premier to “demonstrate that you are prepared to take pragmatic decisions in the national interest” by approving these oil and gas fields.
Their call comes as more than 80 MPs and MSPs from various parties signed a pledge opposing approval for Rosebank, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Green Maggie Chapman, and SNP MP Chris Law.
Scottish Conservative MP Douglas Lumsden, who won the Aberdeen South seat with almost 50% of the vote in last month’s Westminster byelection, said “precious time” has already been lost due to Labour government decisions.
Scottish Conservative MP for Aberdeen South Douglas Lumsden said: “We’ve written to Andy Burnham to make it painfully clear there are tens of thousands of jobs on the line if he continues down the same path as Keir Starmer and Ed Miliband.
“If Miliband ends up having Burnham’s ear in government, I doubt he will allow that strict, inflexible road to net zero to be ripped up.
“These fields are huge for energy security in the UK, for our economy and for job security in Scotland.
“Voters in Aberdeen South made it overwhelmingly clear that they have had enough of Labour and the SNP’s reckless anti-oil-and-gas policies.
“Jackdaw should have been producing this year and Rosebank shortly after. Precious time has already been lost due to dogma, and thousands of jobs with it.”