Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, has been accused of “peddling a dangerous fantasy” over her plans to reverse a ban on new oil and gas licences in the North Sea. The party is launching a campaign to boost the fossil fuel sector, arguing it will reduce energy prices and improve security. However, critics say the policy would do little to lower household bills.
Tessa Khan, executive director of the renewable energy campaign group Uplift, described the move as “vapid, political game playing at the expense of ordinary people”. She said: “More drilling will do absolutely nothing to lower energy bills, a fact that she knows and members of her Cabinet have admitted.” In 2023, then-energy secretary Claire Coutinho acknowledged that new licences “wouldn’t necessarily bring energy bills down”.
The Labour government banned new oil and gas licensing last year, focusing on homegrown renewable energy. Global oil prices have surged amid conflict in Iran, raising concerns about energy costs. Badenoch will launch her “get Britain drilling” campaign on an oil rig near Aberdeen, arguing that drilling is key to energy security and job creation.
However, experts note that North Sea production is too small to influence global prices. Research by Uplift and Voar found that hundreds of licences granted between 2010 and 2024 have produced only 36 days of gas. Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy, said more drilling would have “little effect on prices” due to the UK’s integration with global markets.
Badenoch also called for scrapping the windfall tax on energy profits, which Khan labelled “tone deaf”. A Labour spokesperson said: “The awkward truth is Badenoch’s own shadow energy secretary admitted that new licences would not cut energy bills.”
