Ed Miliband to approve first new gas field in decade in latest major u-turn

Ed Miliband is set to approve a new gasfield project to ease energy pressure amid the war in Iran.

The Energy Secretary could give the green light for Shell-operated Jackdaw gasfield to start drilling – the first major North Sea oil and gas development in almost a decade.

Jackdaw – located around 150 miles off Aberdeen – could begin production within months, supplying gas by winter if regulatory hurdles are cleared quickly, as most infrastructure is already in place.

Whitehall officials say government insiders believe Mr Miliband’s expected approval of the project follows a reassessment of its compatibility with carbon targets under updated regulatory criteria.

The Jackdaw decision would mark a significant policy shift for Mr Miliband, who previously said major fossil fuel projects were incompatible with the UK’s climate goals.

Mr Miliband will not make a final decision until the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning completes an assessment under the new criteria. This is not expected before next month’s local elections.

The Cabinet Minister is said to still be opposed to drilling the Rosebank field, which mostly contains oil.

Donald Trump has repeatedly mocked Britain and Sir Keir Starmer for failing to “drill baby drill”.

Over night, the US president impersonated the Prime Minister as he recounted Sir Keir saying he had to ask his team about sending “two old broken-down aircraft carriers” to the Middle East.

Mr Trump said Britain “should be our best” ally, but had not been in his latest sideswipe over the UK’s refusal to be drawn into the conflict with Tehran, which has emerged in a video from a private Easter White House lunch.

It is not the first time the American leader has been critical of the UK’s aircraft carriers, having previously dismissed them as “toys” that “aren’t the best”.