Decision on Rosebank and Jackdaw fields needed as soon as possible – Badenoch

Tessa Khan, executive director of Uplift, has criticised Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s claims about the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields.

She said: “Kemi Badenoch is making highly misleading claims. She should know that most of what’s left in the North Sea is oil, the vast majority of which we export. It does almost nothing to displace imports – it just adds to global oil supply.

“The science is clear: the world already has far more oil and gas than can be burned safely if we want to maintain a liveable climate for ourselves and our children.

“The public is watching in horror at what is unfolding this summer – wildfires forcing mass evacuations; thousands of deaths caused by the extreme heat; farmers struggling to grow our food in drought conditions; and the immense loss of precious natural spaces.

“Kemi Badenoch’s Trumpian obsession with oil and gas is blinding her to the reality of what everyone else can see – we urgently need to change course.

“More drilling will not cut our energy bills, it will only increase profits for oil and gas companies while making the unfolding climate crisis even worse. That is profoundly irresponsible.”