Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has told Offshore Europe in Aberdeen that her party would make North Sea oil and gas a "cornerstone" of the economy if elected to government.
Badenoch has been clear that she wants to see as much oil and has extracted from the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) as possible, and is adamant hers is the only party "backing Britain's North Sea industry".
Giving a speech to thousands of key players in the energy sector at SPE Offshore Europe 2025, Badenoch, The Independent reports, vowed: “Under the Conservatives, British energy will power British prosperity.
“Labour sees the North Sea as a relic of the past; we see it as a cornerstone of Britain’s future.
“By restoring common sense to energy policy, we will unlock billions in revenue, secure our supply, and rebuild confidence in the UK economy.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband suggested her comments meant the Tories had "learnt nothing" from their election defeat and warned failed energy policy would "hurt the pockets of working people".
The Conservatives, meanwhile, have pledged to revoke the presumption against new oil and gas licences.