Scottish Labour leadership candidate Joe Fagan has pledged to back the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas developments, urging the UK Government to approve them and protect thousands of jobs.
Fagan, an MSP and former South Lanarkshire Council leader, said he would "not stop lobbying" the UK Government to sign off on the projects if he wins the party leadership later this year. His comments follow BP's announcement that it is putting its North Sea business up for sale, which Fagan called "a wake-up call".
Background on the projects
Shell's Jackdaw gas field was originally approved by the previous Conservative government in summer 2022, while the Rosebank oil development, 80 miles west of Shetland, was granted permission in autumn 2023. However, both approvals were later ruled unlawful, forcing owners to seek fresh permission before production can start.
Environmental groups and the Scottish Greens have repeatedly called for the applications to be refused. Fagan accused the SNP of "years of mixed messages and political flip-flopping" and failing to deliver a serious energy policy.
Fagan's stance
Fagan said: "Scotland's oil and gas workers deserve a champion. I will not stop lobbying the UK Government until Jackdaw and Rosebank are approved and the jobs linked to these projects are protected."
He argued that taxation cannot be the whole of energy policy, while stressing that companies making exceptional profits should pay their fair share. He called for a "real transition" that includes offshore wind, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage.
"The story of the North Sea does not need to be a story of decline. It can be a story of industrial revival, if we protect skilled workers now and invest seriously in the industries of the future," he added.
Fagan also urged the SNP to act with greater urgency on training and job protection, including better skills passporting, retraining access, and a serious industrial strategy linking oil and gas with renewables and manufacturing.
