Labour energy minister Michael Shanks has admitted the government made a mistake by allowing a narrative to develop that divided North Sea workers into “good jobs” and “not so good jobs”.
Speaking at Labour’s conference in Liverpool, Shanks was challenged over the future of Rosebank and Jackdaw and the need to protect the North-east’s oil and gas workforce while renewable industries are developed.
“I think if we’re honest, the narrative from government was too much about trying to suggest there was a camp of good jobs and a camp of not so good jobs,” he said.
“That was never our intention, but I think that was what was often understood and that was a mistake.”
OEUK chief executive David Whitehouse welcomed the comments, arguing that policymakers had too often presented the energy transition as a choice between oil and gas and renewables.
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