2026-10-16 · Evening Standard
🔮 A decision on Jackdaw is “imminent”, but Rosebank is set to take “a bit longer”, Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said on Thursday.
The outcome will be seen by environmentalists as a key test of Mr Burnham’s credibility on climate change.
He added: “We’re not backing away from them, but that’s a matter that will be addressed in due course.”
The UK Government is considering whether to grant permission for the two projects, which were initially approved by the previous Conservative administration before the courts ruled the full environmental impacts of the fossil fuels drilled should be taken into account.
Speaking on the BBC’s Radio Scotland Breakfast programme on Friday, Mr Alexander said: “Our predecessors, the Conservatives, made such a mess of the process of approval, both for Jackdaw and Rosebank, that they ended up in court.
“And that’s why we are cautious, careful, and often quite circumspect in what we say publicly about these decisions, because we don’t want to see further delay as a result of more court action.
“I’m careful in what I say publicly because we don’t want to make the same mistakes as our Conservative predecessors, which led to the whole programme being delayed as a consequence of judicial challenge.”
He said he “welcomed” Ms Fahnbulleh’s announcement that a decision on Jackdaw is imminent – but refused to be drawn on whether a decision had been made yet, or when an announcement would be made.
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“The decision is on Miatta’s desk. assertive
The Aporia