Keir Starmer must not mark the end of the UK’s progress on climate

In response to Keir Starmer stepping down , Oil Change UK North Sea Senior Campaigner Rosemary Harris, said: 

“Keir Starmer’s resignation marks the end of one chapter in British politics, but it must not mark the end of the UK’s progress on climate. His government took a significant step by ending new North Sea oil and gas licensing, making the UK the largest oil and gas-producing country to do so. Labour was elected on a mandate to carry climate action forward, and the next Prime Minister must resist pressure from the fossil fuel industry to reverse course and instead provide the certainty that workers and communities need.

“While there has been progress in ending oil and gas licensing, there has not been done enough by Keir Starmer’s government to support the workers and communities with the transition. This failure has played into the hands of a Reform party who seek to sow division and undermine climate action, and risks half a million jobs if they are successful. The next Prime Minister must take this responsibility seriously, deliver a legislated licensing ban, properly fund support and put workers at the centre of the UK’s plan for long-term energy security. 

“At a time when conflicts and geopolitical instability means households across the UK have unaffordable energy bills, doubling down on fossil fuels would leave the UK exposed to the same cycles of volatility and crisis. Real energy security comes from phasing out oil and gas production, accelerating the shift to affordable renewable energy, supporting workers through the transition, and reducing dependence on unstable global fossil fuel markets.