Rishi Sunak vows to take 'every last drop' of North Sea oil

Using every last drop of oil in Scotland’s North Sea is “absolutely the right thing to do”, Rishi Sunak has said.

Rishi Sunak, seen visiting the Shell St Fergus gas plant in Peterhead in July. Picture: Euan Duff/Getty Images

The Prime Minister stood by the decision to give the go-ahead for drilling at the Rosebank oil field around 80 miles north-west of Shetland.

It is thought to contain up to 300 million barrels of oil, but critics – including First Minister Humza Yousaf – said the development will damage net zero ambitions.

Speaking yesterday, however, Mr Sunak said his government was “absolutely not” wishing away net zero ambitions.

Net Zero and Just Transition Secretary Màiri McAllan. Image: Jane Barlow/Press Association.

He said the Government was “committed” to the targets despite postponing a ban on new petrol and diesel cars by five years, to 2035.

The decision, he said, was taken to ease the cost burdens on ordinary households.

And asked if he thought the UK should take “every last drop” of oil from the North Sea, Mr Sunak said: “I think the UK should focus on the North Sea because we’re going to take every last drop. I mean, we need oil and gas for decades to come.

“So yes, I would much rather have that from home because it’s better for our energy security. It’s better for our economy and it’s better for our jobs now.”

But pressed again whether that approach means “taking every last drop”, he said: “I think that is absolutely the right thing to do, because that’s better for our country.

“It’s better for jobs, it’s better for our energy security, and by the way, better for carbon emissions.

“When we import gas from somewhere else around the world, it comes here with three or four times the emission that you would get from getting it here at home so yes I do think it’s the right thing to do.

“It’s the right long-term thing to do for our country, and that’s what I’m always going to do.”

It came as environment ministers in Scotland and Wales have for a UK-wide climate summit following the Prime Minister’s watering down of net zero pledges.

In a joint letter to Michael Gove – who serves as minister for intergovernmental relations in the UK Government – Scottish Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan and Julie James, Wales’s Minister for Climate Change, say there was “no prior engagement” with the devolved administrations prior to Mr Sunak’s announcements a week ago.

In a speech from Downing Street, Mr Sunak pushed back the ban on new petrol and diesel cars to 2035, as well as weakening plans to phase out gas boilers and scrapping the requirement for energy efficiency upgrades for homes.

The letter said: “Despite the far-reaching implications of the announcements made – with substantial changes in policy that will impact progress in delivering net zero and have profoundly negative implications for the environment and economy across the UK and further affect the UK’s international reputation – there was no prior engagement with the devolved governments.

“Given that delivery of the climate ambitions of the four nations of the UK are intrinsically linked, this is deeply unsatisfactory.

“In addition, almost a week later, it is hugely frustrating that the UK Government has not provided the level of detail required by such significant announcements.

“We would urge you to provide this immediately to enable devolved governments to fully assess the implications.”