Andy Burnham faces his biggest Labour rebellion as 75 MPs oppose Rosebank oilfield

Andy Burnham is facing a major backbench rebellion as 75 Labour MPs have opposed the Rosebank oilfield development.

A letter, signed by backbench MPs, has warned the UK’s credibility as a global climate leader would be destroyed if the project were approved.

Rosebank, about 80 miles northwest of Shetland, is said to contain 300 million barrels of oil, with some suggesting it could create 1,600 jobs.

However, the burning of fossil fuels from the site would make it harder for the UK to hit its 2050 target of net zero carbon emissions.

One parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to a cabinet minister has already said they would quit their role if Rosebank is approved.

The PPS told The Sunday Times: "I think they underestimate how strongly people feel about climate change. For a generation of us it’s as central to our politics as equality or tackling poverty."

Other Labour MPs have been open about their opposition to the proposals, including MP for Sheffield Central, Abtisam Mohamed

Ms Mohamed said: "It will not benefit taxpayers who will shoulder the vast majority of the development costs [and] it will not strengthen our energy security because most of the oil will be sold on international markets.

"It will not reduce energy bills for our constituents, who will remain exposed to volatile fossil fuel prices."

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Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, added: "The ecological case to refuse permission is watertight, and the economic case … is wiped out by the government’s own independent evidence.

"That shows it will generate little for the exchequer thanks to the tax arrangements of the foreign companies that own it, won’t deliver cheaper energy prices here...it’s time we stood up for taxpayers and the environment and just said no to Rosebank."

Meanwhile, Aberdeen South MP Douglas Lumsden has urged the Energy Secretary to approve Rosebank after the government gave the Jackdaw gas field the green light.

The Conservative MP said: "If the Prime Minister wants to see growth in every postcode, then he must approve Rosebank, scrap the Energy Profits Levy, and remove Labour’s ban on all new licences for the people and businesses of Aberdeen South."

Earlier this week, Mr Burnham took to the stage at the UN COP31 summit in Turkey to claim "Britain is back and ready to play its full part" in tackling climate change in a "new era" of leadership over the next decade.

Amid accusations Labour is deprioritising the green agenda, the Prime Minister recommitted to hitting its 2050 net zero target and to working with other countries to reach theirs.

Attending the annual climate gathering for the first time as Prime Minister on Thursday, he warned that the "climate crisis is upon all of us now" after a "not normal" summer of extreme heat, wildfires and drought.

He said: "The climate crisis is not a distant threat; it is upon us all now, devastating lives and livelihoods everywhere."

Shortly after the speech to a half-empty hall in Antalya, Turkey, Downing Street was forced to defend Mr Burnham’s attendance amid questions about whether the journey delivered value for money and reflected his net-zero ambitions.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said flying to Turkey for the climate conference and then to Ireland for the European Political Community (EPC) meeting was "absolutely" a good use of the Prime Minister’s time.

Scrutiny of Mr Burnham’s travel has intensified after a Government plane flew from London to Manchester to pick him up on the way to a Commonwealth summit in the Caribbean last week, earning him the nickname Air Miles Andy among opponents.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister has been very clear that the climate crisis is no longer a distant threat and he feels that it’s extremely important to meet with other leaders and address to help address the key challenges posed by climate change.

"On the European Political Community meeting, as I set out, he will attend a number of meetings there, including on Ukraine, with the hope of making further progress towards a just and lasting peace there."