Overview
- Up to 75 Labour MPs have privately signed a letter against approving the Rosebank field, and organisers hope the number could reach about 100.
- Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh retains formal quasi‑judicial authority to decide Rosebank and has said the final verdict rests solely with her.
- At least one parliamentary private secretary has warned they would resign if the licence is granted, signalling a real risk of government defections.
- Supporters say Rosebank could yield roughly 300 million barrels of oil, about 1,600 local jobs and tax receipts, while campaigners warn it would produce very large downstream CO2 emissions and call it a 'carbon bomb'.
- The row has hardened after the government approved the Jackdaw gas field last month and raises the prospect of legal challenges if downstream emissions are not fully assessed.