Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared that importing oil and gas while leaving Britain's own resources untapped makes no sense, raising hopes that the approval of Jackdaw could pave the way for a similar decision on Rosebank.
In comments last night following the Government's decision to give the green light to the North Sea gas development, Mr Burnham made one of his clearest statements yet in support of continued domestic oil and gas production.
"It just doesn’t make sense to only import oil and gas from abroad, when we could be considering the responsible use of our own resources here at home," he said.
The intervention will raise expectations across the North Sea industry that the Government could now move to approve Rosebank, the major oil development west of Shetland which has also been awaiting a decision on its future.
Mr Burnham said Jackdaw would strengthen Britain's energy security, protect jobs and deliver a £3billion boost to the economy, with gas expected to begin heating homes this winter.
He pointed to the impact of the Iran war on global energy markets, arguing that rising household bills had reinforced the case for making greater use of domestic resources.
"The truth is, that even with our ambitious net-zero goals, we will still need oil and gas for decades to come.
"That’s why we’re taking a common sense approach."
The Prime Minister insisted that the decision was consistent with the Government's climate commitments and manifesto, while announcing a new Energy Wealth Fund that would channel future North Sea tax revenues into renewable energy and the wider transition.
He also confirmed that ministers would examine removing standing charges from household gas bills and pledged to substantially separate gas and electricity prices by the end of this Parliament.