Miliband looking into more drilling in North Sea despite election pledge

Ed Miliband plans to encourage North Sea drilling despite a manifesto promise not to grant new licences on new parts of the British seabed.

- Kiran Stacey Jillian Ambrose Severin Carrell

The energy secretary is looking at ways in which the government can allow companies to look for and produce more oil and gas without breaking Labour's pledge not to issue new licences on new fields.

The plans, which will be announced in the coming months as part of a wider strategy for the North Sea, come amid pressure on one side from climate activists to stop all drilling, and on the other from Donald Trump to "drill, baby, drill".

A government spokesperson said: “The strategy will set out how the government intends to meet its manifesto commitments to ensure no new licences to explore new fields and maintaining existing fields for their lifetime.” They added that the government would meet its manifesto commitments “in full”.

Miliband has been working on proposals for the North Sea for months. Ministers are looking at how they can implement the pledge not to grant new licences for new fields while gaining an economic return from the sizeable industry that already exists. Oil and gas companies employ about 30,000 people.