Keir Starmer challenged to rethink North Sea drilling by ministers - 'Small changes make a difference at scale'

Sir Keir Starmer is coming under increasing pressure from his own cabinet to re-think Labour's net zero policy and its stance on North Sea drilling. The Prime Minister has been warned about his repeated claims that new oil and gas drilling would not take a penny off people's bills. A report published earlier this week claimed Britain risks accelerating the decline of the oil and gas industry despite overwhelming industry belief that the basin could still have a long-term future. The 43rd Energy Transition report said confidence in the fossil fuel industry is weak due to financial instability, planning delays, transmission charging and slow project consenting, rather than a lack of opportunity or capability in the sector.A Whitehall source told The Times: People keep saying that it 'won't take a penny off bills'. But if it improves your balance of payments, it helps your currency, potentially letting you get money for all sorts of goods. Even small changes make a difference at scale. It might get us a few more solar panels and batteries for the same price too.Another added: There's a growing feeling that we've boxed ourselves in with a line that's technically true but politically useless.Fingers were also pointed at Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, with the former Labour leader's criticism of the Prime Minister potentially threatening the Government's green agenda. One source said: Usually Ed would have the Prime Minister's ear on this stuff. But since the betrayal on leadership, other arguments are now being heard.Mr Miliband had called on the Prime Minister to resign and is understood to be backing Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Sir Tony Blair also told Sir Keir Starmer to rip up net zero targets and reduce the welfare budget, which the former Prime Minister said risks outpacing defence spending by the end of the decade.A spokesman from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: The Government is implementing the manifesto commitment to deliver fair and balanced transition in the North Sea, managing existing fields for the entirety of its lifespan and not granting new exploration licences because they will not support our energy security and will not take a penny off bills.FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAYLabour chair urges Nigel Farage to come forward over £5million donationLabour’s chairwoman has written to Nigel Farage, urging him to say which authorities are looking into an alleged Russian hack behind the disclosure of a £5million gift he received.Anna Turley challenged Mr Farage to publicly confirm he reported the suspected attack to either the police or the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).She said if the MP for Clacton, Essex, failed to respond, the Labour Party would make a report itself “in the public and national interest”.A Reform UK spokesperson said: It has been reported to the relevant authorities. It would be inappropriate to comment further while investigations are ongoing.Mr Farage received £5million from Thailand-based crypto-entrepreneur Christopher Harborne in 2024, before he stood in the general election that year.He has previously said the money was for non-political purposes, to pay for his safety and security, and later told The Sun it was a reward for campaigning for Brexit for 27 years.Zack Polanski claims there is a 'smear campaign' against himZack Polanski has claimed there is a smear campaign against him as he claimed the scrutiny he faces from the media is incredibly disproportionate.Mr Polanski told Sky News: I think I can say very clearly that if you compare the scrutiny that I receive compared to what Reform receives, it's incredibly disproportionate.He continued: We do know that there's an agenda here with media organisations, not all media organisations, but I'm a politician that wants to tax multi-millionaires and billionaires. I want to challenge wealth and power in this country. And some media organisations hold that wealth and power.Youth joblessness will rise for lost generation without urgent action warns new reviewThe number of young people neither working nor learning could reach 1.25 million within the next five years, a review by an ex-Labour Health Secretary will warn amid fears of a “lost generation”.Its author Alan Milburn is expected to say the first rung of the career ladder is “simply out of reach” for many young people and conclude it is not this group’s fault but rather failure of a system stuck in the past.While currently around one in eight people aged 16 to 24 in the UK are not in education, employment or training (Neet), this could rise to one in six young people by 2031, representing 1.25 million young lives, the review will say.Mr Milburn, who is leading the review of the Neets crisis for the Government, will publish his interim report on Thursday.The former Labour Cabinet minister has already spoken about some of his findings, warning at the weekend of a bedroom generation and saying anxiety linked to social media is driving economic inactivity among young people. 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