𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Labour is to introduce a legal ban on new oil and gas drilling in Britain, enshrining in legislation a prohibition that would make it far harder for any future government to reverse course on North Sea exploration.

The measure will form part of the energy independence bill, one of a raft of new laws set out by the King during the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday. It will convert Ed Miliband’s existing temporary moratorium on new drilling into a permanent legal ban, and will also prohibit onshore fracking.

What does the energy independence bill say about North Sea drilling?

A detailed briefing note issued by Ed Miliband’s officials following the King’s Speech confirmed the bill would “meet [Labour’s] manifesto commitment not to issue new licences to explore new fields, including delivering the commitment to ban fracking.”

Fields that already hold licences will be unaffected by the ban and may continue pumping until their reserves run dry. However, the future of the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields — two of the most significant North Sea projects yet to receive approval — remains in doubt, with the Energy Secretary yet to give either the green light.

Why is the North Sea drilling ban controversial?

Critics have seized on the timing of the announcement, The Telegraph has reported. With the Iran war having cut off significant quantities of Middle Eastern fuel and sent energy markets into turmoil, senior figures from across the industry, among them the heads of British Gas and Octopus Energy, have called on the Energy Secretary to think again.

Enrique Cornejo of Offshore Energies UK warned that Britain needed to make the most of its entire domestic energy mix. He said: “Events in the Middle East are showing very clearly that the UK must reduce its reliance on energy imports, but the nation is set to depend on shipments from places like the USA and Qatar for half its gas by 2035.”

Tone Langengen of the Tony Blair Institute added: “As the Climate Change Committee makes clear, oil and gas will remain part of the mix for decades. Maintaining domestic supply where it makes sense is vital to reducing exposure to volatile global markets.”

What do politicians say about the North Sea ban?

Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, condemned the policy in the strongest terms, saying it would “amount to the wilful destruction of our own domestic energy supplies and people’s livelihoods.” She added: “It is utterly shameful and we Conservatives will fight them every step of the way.”

Richard Tice, Reform UK’s energy spokesman, dismissed the plan as “ludicrous.”

Mr Miliband defended the approach, insisting that a rapid transition to renewable energy was “the only way to bring down bills for good and take back control of our energy.”

Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, which campaigns against the fossil fuel industry, backed the Government’s position. She said: “Spending tens of billions propping up a broken fossil fuel system is clearly not the answer, nor is more drilling when we know it won’t lower bills and the UK has already burned through most of its gas reserves.”

What else is in the energy independence bill?

Beyond the drilling ban, the legislation contains a series of further measures. Buy-to-let owners face new obligations to invest in upgrades to their properties, and a freshly created “warm homes agency” will take charge of a £15bn drive to electrify homes and provide energy assistance to the most vulnerable households.

The bill will also remove charges currently levied on households that export surplus power to the grid, for example, through rooftop solar panels.

The future of the legislation is uncertain. Sir Keir Starmer is fighting to preserve his premiership amid growing pressure from within Labour, and the bill’s passage cannot be guaranteed.

That said, Mr Miliband is widely tipped to throw his hat into the ring should a leadership contest materialise — and were he to win, the ban would almost certainly remain a cornerstone of his programme.