BARRISTOCRACY OVERRULES ELECTED POLITICIANS

"Fury at Labour 'caving to eco-zealots' after court backs challenge against North Sea oil and gas fields - with Ed Miliband set to decide on plans"

 

Daily Mail: 30th January 2025: Report on reaction to judge ruling that North Sea Oil drilling must be halted in climate change row 

"Labour has been accused of 'caving to eco-zealots' after a judge upheld a legal challenge to two new oil and gas fields in the North Sea. Greenpeace and Uplift argued... that process had not been followed in granting consent for the Rosebank oil field and Jackdaw gas field.  

...Conservatives condemned Mr Miliband for refusing to defend the case, saying ministers were 'caving to the green lobby'. The development is in stark contrast to the US, where new president Donald Trump has been vowing a 'drill baby drill' policy to exploit natural resources.   

Kemi Badenoch said: 'This ruling is an act of self-harm. Yet more lawfare killing economic growth."... 

..In his ruling, Lord Ericht said: ‘‘The public interest in authorities acting lawfully and the private interest of members of the public in climate change outweigh the private interest of the developers."... "‘The effect of the burning of fossil fuels on climate change and the lives of individual persons is now well recognised in law,’ he explained.

...Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Douglas Lumsden said: 'This decision is a hammer blow for the North Sea oil and gas industry, which is so crucial for our economy and energy security"... "Labour abandoned tens of thousands of highly skilled workers by refusing to defend this case. They must now belatedly show some common sense and back the sector"... “The majority of Scots support continued oil and gas production in the North Sea because they recognise it supports jobs and that, without it, we’d be more reliant on importing fossil fuels from abroad with a far greater carbon footprint".

Russell Borthwick, Chief Executive at Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, [said] "'Halting future oil and gas production makes the UK even more dependent on imports to meet our energy needs - in effect outsourcing and increasing our emissions, rather than reducing them, and doing the same to bills."

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