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Keir Starmer has said he is “doubling down” on the future of oil and gas, in the biggest hint yet that he is poised to give consent to the controversial Rosebank oilfield. The Prime Minister told Scottish journalists gathered in Downing Street that North Sea oil and gas will continue to be part of the UK’s energy mix for “many, many years” alongside renewables. Sir Keir also said he is “not giving up” on clawing back the £145 million owed to the UK Government by a firm linked to Baroness Michelle Mone, and dismissed First Minister John Swinney’s negotiations on whisky tariffs with US President Donald Trump as a photo opportunity. When asked by The Scotsman about the future of the Rosebank oilfield off the coast of Shetland, Sir Keir said: “A decision is still to be taken as a result of the court case, but as I have said, oil and gas will be part of the mix for many, many years and I want to double down on that. “It will be part of the mix alongside the fantastic opportunity of renewables, I think we can do both.” This comes after both UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks refused to be drawn on the future of the oilfield, but pointed out that the owners, Norwegian state oil company Equinor, is seeking consent rather than an exploration licence. Read The Steamie - our dedicated politics newsletter The comments from the Prime Minister come only days after Equinor admitted that developing the oilfield would create 250 million tonnes of planet warming gas. Sir Keir also said he and Chancellor Rachel Reeves intend to “go after every penny” owed to them by PPE Medpro. He said: “We have been really clear about getting money back. “Rachel Reeves has been clear about this, we intend to get as much back as possible of taxpayers’ money and go after every penny. “We are not giving up.” It comes after PPE Medpro failed to meet the deadline to repay almost £122 million to the UK Government for breaching its contract. Earlier this month the UK Department of Health and Social Care won its legal case against the company over claims the personal protective equipment (PPE) it provided during the coronavirus pandemic did not meet relevant standards. The company had until 4pm on Wednesday 15 October to repay the money, but has not yet done so. The firm was ordered to repay £122m. Interest of £23.6m has been added to this, bringing the total sum they owe to £145.6m. The sum will accrue interest at 8 per cent per year until it is fully paid. Sir Keir was joined in Downing Street by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who is hoping to win the 2026 Scottish Parliament election and become the next First Minister. Scottish Labour had been neck-and-neck with the SNP in the polls a year ago - however Scottish Labour has now fallen back to its 2021 levels and the SNP is predicted to remain the largest party in Holyrood. In the summer Mr Swinney travelled to Washington DC to discuss whisky tariffs with Mr Trump in the Oval Office. Currently Scotch whisky faces a 10 per cent tariff on its exports to the US, something industry bosses say is costing the sector £4 million a week. There is growing fear this could increase, as US President Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on single malt whisky during his first term in office. However, Sir Keir dismissed Mr Swinney’s efforts and said: “I think I would say the hard yards are what matters. These things take time, not a one-off photo opp.” He also lauded Mr Sarwar’s efforts to fight the upcoming Holyrood election, and criticised the SNP’s record in government. The Prime Minister said: “The way I approach it, is after 18 years in office you would think he would want to run the election on the basis of what he has delivered. “That tells you everything about the failure of the SNP in office. “My question is why doesn’t he run the election on his record - is it because his record is so poor?” He added: “The more some things change, the more others stay the same and that’s why the SNP are still holding conferences about independence, so focused on rehashing yesterday’s failed arguments they won’t seize the opportunities of tomorrow. “Honest John is still talking like a broken record - avoiding responsibility as NHS waiting lists go up, police numbers fall, and they refuse the opportunities of green nuclear power. “So next May, it’s time for a change with Anas Sarwar leading a Scottish Labour government that will work with Westminster to deliver the change Scottish people deserve.”
