Graeme Downie MP
10/09/2026
I have received a lot of emails and messages from people asking about the future of oil and gas in the North Sea and, specifically, about the proposed Rosebank and Jackdaw developments so I wanted to explain my view in detail. This is quite long but it is a complex issue, and I wanted to be thorough.
First, climate change is one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced. It is real. Its effects are already being felt around the world, and the need to accelerate the move to lower carbon and more sustainable sources of energy has never been greater. That is why I have always supported the move to a low-carbon economy, and why I always will.
But we must be honest about how we get there.
Much of the discussion around Rosebank and Jackdaw can create the impression of a polarising choice, that you are either in favour of oil and gas or in favour of renewables. I worked with renewables companies for over a decade before becoming an MP and I know this is a false choice.
The independent UK Climate Change Committee, which advises the UK Government, and the broader policy consensus are crystal clear that oil and gas will remain part of the UK’s energy mix for decades to come.This is particularly true of gas, with UK homes and businesses heavily reliant on the direct gas network, as well as a need for gas in electricity generation. The latter is something we must tackle urgently with increased renewables, nuclear power, storage, community energy and grid upgrades, but there will still be a need for oil and gas up to 2050 and perhaps beyond.
This leads to two central questions. First, how do we successfully make the UK a low-carbon economy and society and, second, where do we get the fossil fuels in the meantime?
That means we have to support British people, British jobs and British communities as we make the transition.
As a member of the Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee in the UK Parliament, I have heard extensive evidence from trade unions, employers, charities and industry experts about the challenges facing communities across the UK which are part of the offshore energy industry, and the practical realities of steadily switching to low-carbon energy, electricity generation and a wider low-carbon economy.
I have visited and spoken to oil and gas workers, not just in Aberdeen but from across the UK, where this sector is vital to thousands of families and communities in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
One of the most powerful pieces of evidence I have heard was from Aberdeen Cyrenians, who described the tragic personal consequences of job losses in Aberdeen and the surrounding area. We must never be blind to the impact of policy on the daily lives of ordinary people and the communities they call home. In fact, that should always be our top priority when making decisions.
The North Sea basin is declining, that is without question, but we must manage this process. We must use this time to maintain and build the skills we will need for the new low-carbon economy. That is not just in renewables; it is in electrical engineering for grid upgrades, building specialist cables for floating offshore wind that is coming online, working in low-carbon transport technology and maintenance, and the whole range of supply chain jobs I have heard about. That includes hundreds of jobs in my own constituency and thousands across Fife.
Second, with the clear expert and policy consensus that we will need oil and gas for decades to come, the question is where do we get it from? Oil and gas is an international market and I know that extracting in the North Sea will not lower energy bills. This is not a question of cost.
If we stop producing oil and gas from the North Sea tomorrow, Britain will not suddenly stop using oil and gas. We will simply import more from overseas instead of supporting local jobs, people and communities. Those communities would die off, with devastating human consequences. I cannot support losing British jobs and British investment while continuing to rely on exactly the same fuels.
The case for Rosebank and Jackdaw is about people. Protecting skilled jobs, maintaining vital supply chains and avoiding unnecessary damage to communities that depend on the energy sector while we build the industries of the future.
Britain has made the mistake before of allowing industries to disappear without a plan for what came next. Communities paid the price for generations and in Fife we continue to live with the consequences of those decisions. We cannot repeat that mistake.
Therefore, if we do not proceed with Jackdaw and Rosebank, investment will leave the UK, jobs will disappear and expertise will be lost. We also risk shattering the foundations of our industry and destroying the very skills we need to deliver a low-carbon future for the UK and lead the world on new technology and expertise.
We have a choice. We can manage the decline of the North Sea in a way that protects workers, supports communities and builds the industries that will power Britain’s future, or we can repeat the mistakes of the past and allow skilled jobs and investment to disappear before the transition is complete. I know which path I believe is in the national interest.
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