Andy Burnham is set to face a grilling at prime minister’s questions over his government’s decision to approve drilling in the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea amid fierce backlash.
The decision has drawn criticism from Labour MPs, as well as climate activists, who are now pressuring the prime minister to reject the Rosebank oil and gas field project.
Zack Polanski described Wednesday’s move as “a betrayal of all of our futures” and said Labour had “abandoned all credibility in the fight against climate change.”
It comes after the prime minister said it would “protect hundreds of jobs and help keep millions of homes warm”, but stressed it would not hinder the government’s targets on renewable energy.
Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has told Britons not to expect lower energy bills this winter, telling BBC that the “key consideration in coming to this decision was at a time when we are in an energy crisis triggered by the conflict in the Middle East.
“Energy security is really important and this will contribute to the homegrown sources of energy that we have,” she added.
