Manufacturers urge the government to ramp up North Sea oil and gas production. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

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Net Zero Watch press release

13 March 2026

Reality Bites

The headlines

UK

  • Make UK urges Miliband to approve new North Sea licences

  • Labour think tank calls for a 2p hike in income tax to pay for energy price support

  • Ratcliffe: Miliband must wake up

  • Miliband’s Net Zero drive will increase bills by 30%

  • Scotland warned of blackouts from energy imbalance

International

  • VW to cut 50,000 jobs

Watch

  • Reform: Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick announce their plans to scrap green levies to ease the cost of living

  • Conservatives: Andrew Bowie explains the madness of UK energy policy

Etcetera

  • Media, opinion

From the blog

  • Scotland’s energy crisis

UK

Make UK urges Miliband to approve new North Sea licences

The government must urgently approve new licences for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields in the North Sea to help protect Britain's energy security amid the war in Iran, the influential manufacturers' body Make UK will warn today.

READ: Tony Blair Institute calls on Ministers to ramp up North Sea oil and gas production.

Labour Together calls for a 2p hike in income tax to pay for energy price support

An influential Labour think tank has said the Government should intervene more aggressively on energy costs to protect households. It proposes lowering or tightening the energy price cap so consumers pay less for energy. The resulting cost would be covered through a temporary increase of income tax by 2p.

Ratcliffe: Miliband must wake up

The Iran crisis is a wake-up call for Ed Miliband that should prompt him to rethink his approach to the North Sea, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said as he urged him to approve the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields.

Miliband’s Net Zero drive will see bills rise by 30%

Green levies, taxes and subsidies add 30 per cent to our energy bills, researchers say, as it emerged the race to net zero will cost more than £125billion this decade. With part of that transition funded by our energy bills, critics say it has contributed to the country facing some of the highest electricity prices in Europe.

Scotland warned of blackouts from energy imbalance

Scotland is failing to build a stable and balanced energy sector, leaving it vulnerable to blackouts and security risks, according to an industry consultant. Speaking at an event organised by Net Zero Watch, Kathryn Porter said government policy had to change to ensure energy was affordable and free from reliance on imports. Other speakers at the event included Reform’s Malcolm Offord, the Conservatives’ Andrew Bowie and Andrew Montford, Director of Net Zero Watch.

READ KATHRYN PORTER’S SPEECH HERE

International

VW to cut 50,000 jobs by the end of the decade

Volkswagen is to cut 50,000 jobs by the end of the decade after the German carmaker scaled back its electric car ambitions. In a letter to shareholders, the CEO said the cuts would take place in Germany and fall across the entire group, including brands such as Audi and Porsche, as they race to cut costs as the car giant grapples with fierce competition in China, slowing demand in Europe and the impact of US tariffs.

Watch

WATCH NIGEL FARAGE AND ROBERT JENRICK ANNOUNCE THEIR PLANS TO SCRAP GREEN LEVIES AND SUBSIDIES TO EASE THE COST OF LIVING

WATCH THE CONSERVATIVES’ ANDREW BOWIE DISCUSS WITH THE GWPF’S HARRY WILKINSON EXPLAIN THE PROBLEMS WITH UK ENERGY POLICY

Etcetera…

Read: Maurice writes in The Critic that Ed Davey invokes Churchill’s legacy while pursuing energy policies that amount to energetic and industrial disarmament.

Read: Dieter Helm explains what the war in Iran reveals about Britain’s energy crisis and the lessons we should learn from it.

From the blog

Fri, Mar 13

Scotland’s energy crisis

On 9th March 2026, Net Zero Watch brought the energy system expert Kathryn Porter to Edinburgh, to speak to an invited audience ahead of the Scottish elections in May. Kathryn has kindly allowed us to

 Read More 

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