Ed Miliband and the Plan to Shut Down New North Sea Oil and Gas

Ed Miliband is the UK Energy Secretary. He works for the Labour government. He has made a strong promise. He wants to stop new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea forever and prevent any future government from using it

What is the plan?

•  The government will put a new law in a big bill called the Energy Independence Bill.

•  This law will ban new oil and gas licences in the North Sea.

•  It will make it very hard for any future government to start new drilling again.

•  They will also ban fracking on land.

This matches what Labour said before the last election. They promised no new licences because they think it helps fight climate change and build clean energy.

Why do they want this?

Labour says:

•  The UK must move fast to clean power like wind and solar.

•  This will create new jobs – they say about 50,000 jobs each year by 2030.

•  It will bring in big money for green energy – around £14 billion.

•  They want the UK to have more energy security without depending on fossil fuels from other countries.

What do critics say?

Many people disagree. They say:

•  The UK still needs oil and gas for a long time. It makes up about 80% of our energy.

•  This plan could mean more imports from abroad. That might make bills higher and less safe.

•  It could cost jobs in Scotland and other places that work in oil and gas.

•  Some call it “Energy Dependency” instead of Energy Independence.

Why is this news important?

The North Sea has given the UK energy and jobs for many years. This change is a big step towards net zero (stopping extra greenhouse gases).

The bill was part of the King’s Speech in Parliament this week. It also speeds up new wind farms, hydrogen, and grid connections.

Simple Summary

What happened?

Labour wants to make the stop on new North Sea oil and gas permanent by law.

Who?

Ed Miliband, Energy Secretary.

When?

Announced this week (May 2026).