Overview
- Kemi Badenoch called a "growing oil and gas emergency" and urged the government to "get Britain drilling again" in a new joint campaign with the Scottish Conservatives.
- She asked Chancellor Rachel Reeves to remove the 38% Energy Profits Levy at the 26 November Budget and to lift the halt on new North Sea licences.
- Offshore Energies UK and Scottish Renewables told ministers in a joint letter that the levy should be urgently replaced.
- Environmental groups said the push echoes a "drill baby drill" approach and argued new licences would not lower bills or materially boost UK supply.
- Badenoch cited 2025 setbacks including Grangemouth’s closure, Harbour Energy job cuts, the end of production at Prax Lindsey, and Petrofac’s administration to warn domestic output is on track to halve by 2030.