The head of Adura, the company behind the Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea, has warned that Britain could face fuel shortages this winter unless the project is approved, intensifying pressure on Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. Chief executive Neil McCulloch described approval of the field, located 150 miles east of Aberdeen, as "hyper critical", arguing the UK would have limited options in a "gas supply emergency". The warning matters because it sharpens a growing tension within Labour over its Net Zero agenda, under which Mr Miliband has banned new oil and gas exploration off Britain's coastline.

The issue is complicated by the imminent change of leadership, with Andy Burnham almost certain to replace Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister on 20 July; Mr Burnham has said he is "open-minded" about increasing North Sea drilling, raising the prospect of a clash with Mr Miliband, who has been touted as his potential Chancellor. The North Sea Transition Authority is currently weighing revised applications for both Jackdaw and the Rosebank field off Shetland, after earlier approvals granted under the previous Conservative government were withdrawn when a court ruled consent had been given unlawfully following a challenge by environmental campaigners. Pressure is mounting from Labour MPs and trade unions to soften the party's stance, while Tory leader Kemi Badenoch framed the decision as a choice between cheaper energy and "Net Zero madness".