Labour MPs Lobby Over Rosebank as Cabinet Prepares to Take Strong, Decisive Stance at Some Point
Energy secretary reportedly minded to refuse oilfield. Chancellor reportedly minded to have a word. North Sea reportedly minded to stay wet.
An offshore platform, waiting by the phone. Photo: NAC, “1 North Sea oil platform 240918”, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Labour MPs are lobbying ministers over the Rosebank oilfield decision, with the energy secretary reported to be minded to refuse it and the Chancellor reported to be minded to have a word.
In Perth, where the North Sea is a distant rumour, residents watched the arguments with interest. “Jobs on one side, climate on the other, and a minister in the middle with a pen that won’t write,” said a retired engineer in Crieff. “I’ve had that pen. You lick the end and it still doesn’t work.”
Whitehall sources described the process as “a full and frank exchange of position papers, with the occasional sigh”. Several drafts of the decision are said to exist, labelled Yes, No, Not Yet and Have You Seen The Time.
The oilfield itself declined to comment, but a gull on a nearby platform said it had “seen governments come and go” and was “mainly here for the chips”.
The real story: Labour MPs lobby over Rosebank (The Guardian)
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They’ll decide the day after the oil runs out. Very efficient.
— Callum D., Bridge of Earn, 29 October 2026 -
I’ve had shorter debates over who gets the last tattie scone.
— Pat O., Abernethy, 29 October 2026 -
My son works offshore and says even the seagulls have a firmer view than the Cabinet.
— Linda R., Rhynd, 29 October 2026
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