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It is “absolutely essential” a decision is made on the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields as soon as possible, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said.
Consultations for both developments have closed in recent weeks, with ministers now set to make a decision on their future in what is seen as a key environmental test for Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
While 3,500 construction jobs could be created, and 880 for the life of the fields, environmental activists have raised concerns about the climate impact.
Speaking during a visit to a farm in East Lothian on Friday, Mrs Badenoch said the Government’s “heart’s not really in it”.
When asked if the decision should be made as soon as possible, she said: “It’s absolutely essential.
“If this decision had been made earlier in the summer, we could have had gas from Jackdaw in people’s homes by this winter, by Christmas.
“All of the gas that’s drilled in the North Sea is used in this country and Labour has been kicking this decision into the long grass because their heart’s not really in it.
“They don’t know how to actually make energy cheaper, they don’t know how to get genuine tax revenue, and all they’re doing is increasing taxes, destroying businesses.
“A common sense approach is to make sure that we drill our own oil and gas in the North Sea, get the tax revenue from that instead of importing oil and gas from countries that drill it in a very dirty way, which is actually increasing carbon emissions.”
The comments come as a letter organised by environmental charity Uplift calling on the Prime Minister to reject Rosebank was signed by 90 MPs and MSPs.
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