1.2.2 – Established political parties
1.2.4 – UK political parties in context
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has contributed to rising fuel prices globally. In the UK, this has led to renewed debate about further drilling in the North Sea and created a clear divide between political parties.
Whilst Kemi Badenoch has launched a campaign to ‘get Britain drilling’, a view long supported by Reform, the position of Labour is far less clear. The government has previously said that it intends to continue drilling in existing oil fields, but does not intend to expand any further, instead preferring a managed transition to renewable energy. However, whilst the UK remains dependent on fossil fuels, there have been growing calls from some within the party for the government to grant new drilling licences.
The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, has been the chief opponent of further North Sea drilling, whilst the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has shown herself to be more open to the idea. The compromise may be to allow drilling in the Jackdaw gas field, whilst continuing to refuse drilling in the Rosebank oilfield.
Outside of cabinet, MPs have also shown themselves to be divided, with Labour MPs in more urban areas seemingly more reluctant to support further drilling. This may be indicative of where Labour MPs see their greatest challenge come the next election. MPs in constituencies where the Greens will likely be challenging may not want to give their opponents the opportunities to say Labour have betrayed their environmental credentials, whilst Labour MPs fearing a threat on the right may wish to avoid giving the Conservatives or Reform the opportunity to argue Labour are prioritising a ‘green agenda’ at the expense of cheaper energy (even if this claim is contested).
Labour is also under pressure from its affiliated trade union, the GMB, who have opposed the move away from drilling due to the risk it poses to jobs, particularly in North East Scotland. Additionally, the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, is also in favour of further drilling in Scotland (where oil and gas is a major source of jobs and income), further deepening the divide between the Scottish and UK-wide leadership.
Given the polarising decision that faces Labour on the issue, divisions within the upper echelons of the party seem inevitable. The issue also serves to demonstrate the dilemmas that face Labour given the increasingly multi-party nature of UK politics, and the need to fight in a more crowded field with viable opposition on its left and right.