GMB general secretary Gary Smith has branded Labour’s energy policy “crazy” and urged ministers to approve Rosebank and Jackdaw, warning that blocking the projects would damage investment and jobs.
Smith described the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero as “basically the ministry for P45s” and said the government was relying on “sticking-plaster politics” to deal with Britain’s energy challenges.
He told The Times: “If they do not do this, it will damage hugely the government’s credibility, and it will massively damage investment because that infrastructure, as I understand it, is ready to go - billions of investment. And if it does not now happen, who in their right mind is going to put money into this country?”
Smith also backed further North Sea exploration while Britain remains dependent on imports.
He said: “Yeah, absolutely. As long as we are importing, it is more energy-intensive and more carbon-intensive. It doesn’t make any sense in terms of environment and zero sense in terms of the economy.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham also backed the projects, saying: “We shouldn’t be letting go of one rope before we have got hold of another. Jackdaw is gas. We are going to be able to consume that, we need it and I think we need to go ahead and it should be done.”
The intervention comes as ministers consider fresh approvals for Rosebank and Jackdaw after their previous consents were overturned by the courts.