Labour MP Mike Reader has argued that expanding North Sea drilling is not the answer to protecting energy jobs, saying Scotland’s long-term economic security depends on sustained investment in renewables and nuclear power.
Writing on X after raising the issue in Parliament, Reader said:
“Expanding drilling in the North Sea will not protect jobs.”
He added:
“Evidence is clear – protecting workers means investing in renewables and nuclear in Scotland.”
Reader also questioned whether approving the Rosebank and Jackdaw developments would deliver a sustainable future for the sector, saying they would not address the longer-term need to transition workers into new energy industries.
The intervention comes as ministers consider separate regulatory decisions on the two North Sea projects. The Government has said both remain subject to live processes following updated environmental assessments required after earlier consents were quashed by the courts.
Supporters of Rosebank and Jackdaw argue that the projects could support thousands of jobs and significant investment. Adura, the company developing the projects, says they could support around 3,500 jobs at peak construction, sustain 880 jobs during production and generate billions of pounds in economic activity.
Reader, however, is making the case that the priority should be building a secure pipeline of future employment in clean energy.
Scotland has substantial opportunities in offshore wind, grid infrastructure and other renewable technologies, while nuclear power is also expected to play a significant role in Britain’s future energy mix.
His intervention reflects a wider debate within Labour over how best to manage the North Sea transition while protecting communities that have depended on oil and gas employment for generations.
The Government has announced the North Sea Jobs Service to help workers move between industries, with ministers highlighting the significant overlap in skills between offshore oil and gas and renewable energy.
At the same time, concerns have been raised that Scotland must secure sufficient investment in offshore wind if it is to create the scale of replacement employment required. Industry figures have warned that tens of thousands of potential jobs depend on successfully delivering planned renewable projects.
For Reader, the choice is therefore not between protecting workers and pursuing cleaner energy.
His argument is that protecting workers means accelerating investment in the industries capable of providing secure jobs for decades to come, rather than relying on further North Sea production as a long-term employment strategy.
