A couple of big issues for the UK Government have been firmly in focus as Andy Burnham gets his feet under the table as Prime Minister.

They are familiar issues but no less crucial for that.

And they have certainly not been easy topics for Labour.

The North Sea, and specifically the UK Government’s attitude towards it, is one of these two big issues.

And Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) got last week off to a rip-roaring start on the North Sea front. It did so by highlighting its view about the dangers of continuing uncertainty over UK Government policy in the wake of BP’s announcement the previous week that it planned to sell its North Sea business.

We should remember in the context of the North Sea that the windfall tax, or energy profits levy, was introduced by the Conservatives.

That said, Labour continued with this levy and increased the rate of it in autumn 2024.

So what did AGCC have to say last Monday?

It urged UK Government ministers to “deliver swift approvals for the Jackdaw and Rosebank developments” in the North Sea.

And it warned the “UK’s energy industry cannot afford further uncertainty following BP’s decision to market its North Sea business”.

Russell Borthwick, chief executive of AGCC, said: "BP’s announcement should serve as a wake-up call. It is another stark reminder of what prolonged policy uncertainty means in practice. Investment goes elsewhere, businesses lose confidence and the UK’s industrial capability is........

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