Conservatives press for green levy cuts and Rosebank approval

Andrew Bowie, the shadow energy secretary, has set out Conservative calls to cut green levies and carbon taxes and to approve more North Sea oil and gas fields, including Rosebank.

In a morning broadcast interview, Bowie said removing charges and levies that make up between 20% and 30% of an average household energy bill would reduce costs for everyone. He said cutting carbon taxes could reduce industrial energy bills by about 20%. He argued the focus should be on bringing bills down for British people and businesses rather than raising tax revenue.

Asked about the fiscal effect, Bowie said the plan was about bills rather than taxes. He accepted that the VAT element would reduce revenue, but said the government had already signed up to the VAT cut for the next six months and should extend it over two years. He said that would take a significant amount off energy bills each month.

Bowie welcomed the approval of the Jackdaw gas field but said it should be the first step, not the end of the discussion. He pointed to up to 7 billion barrels of oil equivalent untapped in the North Sea, which he said could heat homes, keep industry running, create jobs and generate revenue. He called for:

• further fields to be approved
• the ban on new licences to be lifted
• the 78% tax on the oil and gas industry to be removed

On Rosebank, Bowie said the government was sending mixed signals. He said the Treasury and the Business Department were supportive because of the revenue it would generate, while the energy secretary was not in favour because of legally binding net zero commitments. He said the prime minister had no clear view and was refusing to get involved. Bowie said he wanted Rosebank approved to strengthen energy security and raise revenue, arguing that every barrel exported to Europe was one less barrel bought from Vladimir Putin.

He was also asked about government efforts to end rough sleeping by Christmas. He said everyone wanted to see rough sleeping reduced and that the numbers of people living rough in London and other cities were deeply saddening.