Labour MPs lobby leadership to protect energy secretary's authority on Rosebank oilfield decision
Labour backbenchers are pressuring the prime minister and chancellor to refrain from interfering in the energy secretary's upcoming decision on the Rosebank oilfield. Reports indicate that energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh is considering refusing environmental permission for the project, while some cabinet members, including the chancellor, are reportedly in favor of the scheme. Fahnbulleh's aides have issued a memo confirming she is the sole decision-maker in the quasi-judicial process, though some MPs allege the Treasury is using aggressive tactics to influence the outcome. The Treasury has included projected tax revenues from the field in its forecasts, a move criticized by some MPs and environmental groups.
Key points
- Labour MPs are lobbying leadership to ensure energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has the final say on the Rosebank oilfield.
- Reports suggest Fahnbulleh is minded to refuse environmental permission for the project.
- Cabinet members, including chancellor John Healey, are reportedly in favor of the scheme.
- The Treasury has factored tax revenues from the project into its forecasts.
- Some MPs allege the Treasury is using aggressive tactics to influence the energy department.
What happened
Labour backbenchers are lobbying prime minister Andy Burnham and chancellor John Healey to ensure that energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh retains sole authority to decide on the Rosebank oilfield project. The intervention follows reports that Fahnbulleh is minded to refuse environmental permission for the development.
Fahnbulleh's aides have circulated a memo to MPs stating that the energy secretary is the only decision-maker in the quasi-judicial process and that no other cabinet member has a role in the decision.
Who said what
Labour MP Catherine Fookes stated that approving Rosebank would contradict the party's manifesto and green credentials, adding that a group of MPs is making it clear to leadership that the decision should rest with Fahnbulleh. Another MP described the pressure from the Treasury as intolerable.
Clive Lewis, another Labour MP, criticized the government for claiming global climate leadership while approving new oilfields based on projected tax receipts. Greenpeace UK co-executive director Areeba Hamid argued that tax revenues from the field could be outweighed by decommissioning costs and climate impacts.
Context
The Treasury has included expected tax revenues from the Rosebank project in its forecasts. Treasury officials stated these figures have been included in Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts since 2019.
Prime minister Andy Burnham has pledged a pragmatic approach to North Sea oil drilling, recently approving the Jackdaw gasfield. While the prime minister insists the Rosebank decision is for Fahnbulleh alone, his recent comments in the Commons regarding the use of reserves to support a clean energy future have prompted speculation about his support for the project.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights internal cabinet tensions over the UK's climate commitments and the role of economic forecasting in environmental policy decisions.
What we know
- Labour MPs are lobbying the prime minister and chancellor to ensure the energy secretary has the sole authority to decide on the Rosebank oilfield project.
- The Treasury has factored tax revenues from the Rosebank project into its forecasts.
- The energy secretary's office has issued a memo stating she is the sole decision-maker for the project.
What remains unclear
- Miatta Fahnbulleh is reportedly minded to refuse environmental permission for the Rosebank oilfield.
- Some Labour MPs believe the Treasury is using aggressive tactics to influence the energy department regarding the Rosebank decision.
How the story developed
Labour MPs lobby leadership over Rosebank oilfield decision
Reports emerge of backbenchers lobbying the prime minister and chancellor to protect the energy secretary's authority on the Rosebank decision.
Original source
