Joe Fagan ‘will not stop lobbying’ Andy Burnham for Rosebank and Jackdaw approval

Scottish Labour leadership contender Joe Fagan has pledged to lobby the UK Government to approve two new oil fields in the North Sea.

Jackdaw, 150 miles off the coast of Aberdeen, and Rosebank, off the coast of Shetland, were previously approved by the Conservative UK Government.

But the licences were revoked after a challenge by environmentalists in the courts, with judges ruling the environmental impact assessments for the fields were insufficient.

These assessments did not initially include an estimate of lifetime emissions, only referring to emissions during construction. Revised assessments have now been submitted.

Fagan, who was only elected to parliament in May, said the projects should be approved to protect jobs in the energy sector. He said the oil fields “should be part of a real transition” for the North Sea.

It comes after BP’s announcement last week that it plans to sell its North Sea operations to focus on its “highest value” opportunities.

Fagan said: “Scotland’s oil and gas workers deserve a champion. I will not stop lobbying the UK Government until Jackdaw and Rosebank are approved and the jobs linked to these projects are protected.”

He also called on the Scottish Government to act with “greater urgency” to support training, skills passporting, and supply chains.

He added: “There will be no just transition if the workers and communities who built Scotland’s energy industry are told to carry the cost of change themselves. This is not about freezing Scotland’s economy in the past. It is about protecting highly skilled jobs while investing in the future. 

“Oil and gas will continue to form part of Scotland’s energy mix for years to come. The question is whether we support Scottish jobs and Scottish industry or import more of the energy we need while allowing our skills and supply chains to disappear.”

Labour made a manifesto commitment not to approve any new licences for North Sea oil in the run-up to the 2024 general election, but it did say it would honour existing ones. It is not clear where the party stands on Rosebank and Jackdaw.

New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he would take a “pragmatic approach” to the sector, and his government “can’t ignore” the resource.

Scottish Labour is currently on the hunt for its eleventh leader since devolution after the resignation of Anas Sarwar, who is set to become a peer and UK Government minister.

Fagan, Michael Marra and Monica Lennon have so far declared their intentions to run. The nomination period opened on Monday and will close in two weeks.

Nominees must receive the support of three MSPs, three MPs, and three affiliates or constituency groups.

Marra has received support from nine MPs and seven MSPs, meaning he will make it onto the ballot. Fagan has the support of three MPs and two MSPs, while Lennon has support from two MPs and one MSP.