Kemi Badenoch is set to push for Britain to capitalise on its domestic oil and gas reserves in an effort to shield UK households from rising energy costs amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
The Conservative Party leader will launch her “Get Britain Drilling” campaign on Monday, as she calls for Britain to maximise the use of its resources.
As part of a three-point plan to boost production, she will propose an end to the moratorium on new oil and gas licences, scrapping of the windfall tax on energy profits, and more financial support for the fossil fuels industry.
Ms Badenoch plans to visit an oil rig off Aberdeen on Monday to launch the campaign, as Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continues to push up oil prices across the globe.
“Labour’s ban on new oil and gas drilling licences was stupid when they put it in their manifesto; in the middle of an energy crisis, it’s completely crazy,” she said.
“Drilling our own oil and gas is about energy security, it’s about financial security, it’s about national security. It’s more jobs, good for business and provides tax revenues that could be used to bring down bills.”
She added: “We need to get Britain drilling. A strong economy relies on cheap, abundant energy.”
The Tories plan to announce further measures in the coming week, aimed at both bringing down living costs and energy bills for businesses.
But Tessa Khan, executive director of campaign group Uplift, branded the announcements as a “vapid, political game at the expense of ordinary people” and said Ms Badenoch was “peddling a dangerous fantasy”.
“Politicians who refuse to acknowledge the reality of the declining North Sea are endangering our security and economy,” she said.
“Not only that, they are betraying workers who need long-term, secure jobs – which will only now come from renewables, not some pipe dream.
“This is vapid, political game playing at the expense of ordinary people.”
At PMQs this week, Sir Keir Starmer insisted it was for the energy secretary to decide whether or not to approve new licences for drilling in the North Sea, including at the Rosebank and Jackdaw sites.
To which Ms Badenoch replied: “The real reason Labour are refusing new licences is that Ed Miliband is now running the government.”
But she herself has faced criticism from the prime minister, after having initially called for Britain to join America and Israel in their war against Iran.
Energy minister Michael Shanks MP accused Ms Badenoch of wanting to “plunge Britain headfirst into war without a second’s thought about the consequences”.
“She has proven herself completely unfit for high office throughout this crisis,” he said.
“Badenoch’s Conservative Party left families with rocketing energy bills – and they completely failed to deliver energy security across 14 years in power. Her own shadow energy secretary admitted that new licenses in the North Sea would not take a penny off bills.
“The Conservatives and Reform want to outsource Britain’s energy security to fossil fuel markets over which we have no control. Meanwhile, Labour is bringing down bills next week and investing in clean, homegrown power to bring bills down for good.”
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