Sir Keir Starmer has said it is up to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband - not him as Prime Minister - to decide whether new oil and gas licences are approved in the North Sea.
Under pressure over projects including Rosebank and Jackdaw, Sir Keir told MPs that current legislation means the decision is a quasi-judicial one for the Secretary of State.
He said: “It’s absolutely clear that the quasi-judicial duty of the legislation rests with the Secretary of State.”
At a bruising Prime Minister’s Questions, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch challenged him to intervene, arguing he could act immediately.
She said: “So will the Prime Minister approve the licences or is the Energy Secretary running the Government?” and added: “He is the Prime Minister, he can make the decision today.”
Badenoch later accused him of weakness, saying: “He is so weak, he’s the first person to be pushed around by the Energy Secretary.”
She also posted an image of Sir Keir Starmer on social media with the caption: “TFW Ed Miliband is running the Government.”
The row comes amid mounting pressure — from opposition parties, industry and international figures — to unlock North Sea projects as energy prices rise following geopolitical tensions.
However, Miliband has maintained his opposition to new licences, arguing that additional North Sea exploration “will not take a penny off people’s bills.”
Projects including Rosebank and Jackdaw remain in legal limbo after a Scottish court ruling requiring further environmental assessment, with any future development dependent on new approvals.