Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has defended Labour's plan to halt new North Sea oil and gas licences, arguing that boosting renewable energy will reduce the UK's vulnerability to price fluctuations set by international markets. Speaking in the Commons ahead of a vote on a Conservative amendment to the King's Speech, Miliband said dependence on fossil fuels leaves Britain's sovereignty and living standards undermined by 'petrostates and dictators'.
The proposed Energy Independence Bill, announced in the King's Speech, aims to accelerate offshore wind, hydrogen, and grid technologies while ending new exploration licences. Miliband noted that £90 billion of private investment has been directed towards clean energy since the election, and the bill will grant offshore renewables workers the same employment rights as those in oil and gas.
Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho labelled the policy 'the single greatest act of industrial self-harm in a generation', warning that reducing domestic production would increase reliance on higher-emission imports from Qatar, the US, or Norway. 'Only a complete whacko would respond to a supply shortage by shutting down their own oil and gas industry,' she said, urging MPs to support continued drilling at the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields.
The Conservative motion also criticises the cancellation of a third nuclear plant at Wylfa, which halted development in 2019. The debate underscores a sharp divide over energy strategy, with Miliband accusing the SNP of having 'more positions on this than the Kama Sutra', while Coutinho insists the government's approach will harm Aberdeen and the wider economy.
