Why Jackdaw counted as an existing project

After months of delay, the UK government has given the go-ahead to the Jackdaw gasfield, which lies east of Aberdeen. The Jackdaw gasfield approval was framed by Labour not as a break with its manifesto but as the continuation of a project already in motion.

At the last election, Labour said it would not grant new North Sea oil and gas licences, but that it would let existing projects proceed. Jackdaw, along with the Rosebank oilfield, had been signed off by the Conservatives before the courts blocked both and ordered a rethink. The government chose to treat them as existing rather than new projects - a classification that, officials stressed, did not make approval automatic.

The political climate around North Sea extraction has also changed. Over roughly the past 12 months, high global energy prices have shifted both public and political opinion, increasing pressure to allow drilling to continue. A backdrop of rising costs sharpened that pressure further: UK inflation climbed more than expected to 3.5% in September, driven by a surge in fuel prices from the Middle East conflict that pushed diesel costs to record levels.

Green reaction: 'climate vandalism'

The sharpest criticism came from Green leader Zack Polanski, who described the approval as a betrayal and said Labour had abandoned all credibility in the fight against climate change.

Polanski also challenged the economic case for the field, pointing out that the industry's own assessment is that Jackdaw will create only 27 jobs. He characterised the decision as a victory for Shell over the people.

Fahnbulleh: no cheaper bills from Jackdaw

Energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh confirmed that approving Jackdaw will not translate into cheaper energy bills, telling listeners that this was not a consideration in the decision because it would not mean lower costs. The case for the project, she said, rested on other grounds:

• •energy security
• •homegrown energy
• •compatibility with climate commitments

On prices, Fahnbulleh accepted that cost is a 'fundamental' issue for households and said the government is tackling it through other routes, including removing VAT from electricity bills. Asked on the Today programme whether the UK should reconsider its 2050 net zero target date, she replied: "That's not my view."

Burnham defends the call; Rosebank looms

Andy Burnham defended the decision as an example of the pragmatic approach he wants on energy policy, arguing that it would protect hundreds of jobs and help keep millions of homes warm this winter. He said Britain remains committed to net zero by 2050 but will need oil and gas for decades to come, and announced a new Energy Wealth Fund to invest in renewable energy, support the green transition and cut bills over the long term.

The government's next test on North Sea gas is likely to be harder. The Rosebank decision is expected to be a much tougher one than Jackdaw's, because Rosebank's carbon emissions are far higher and the environmental case against it is stronger.

Within Labour, some figures are alarmed by the Jackdaw call, though very little public criticism has come from the party's MPs. The other main parties support the field going ahead. Scottish secretary Douglas Alexander visited a gas terminal in Peterhead in the morning to promote the decision.

Fahnbulleh was expected to make a statement to MPs about the Jackdaw decision after 12.30pm, with the government still facing the tougher Rosebank decision ahead.