Eco-mob ‘spurred on by Labour oil pledge’

KEIR Starmer was accused of ‘emboldening’ eco-zealots yesterday after a labour Party vow to ban future North Sea oil drilling was seized upon by activists.

Just Stop Oil (JSO) claimed the party’s stance was a partial ‘victory’ in their 15-month-long campaign of mass disruption.

labour confirmed it will block all new oil and gas projects in the North Sea – even though they are vital to national energy security – if it wins the next general election.

The pledge chimes with JSO’s primary demand of stopping all new fossil fuel projects.

conservative Party chairman Greg Hands urged Sir Keir to ‘come clean’ on whether their activism impacted labour policy. Questions have also been raised about whether green energy pioneer dale Vince – a key JSO backer – had influenced the labour leader by donating £1.5million to the party.

labour denies both claims. However, the party opposes the Public Order Bill, which gives the police new powers against protesters from groups such as JSO.

Tory backbencher louie French said: ‘It is extremely concerning that JSO appears to be emboldened by Sir Keir Starmer to carry out more of these dangerous protests and it is clear labour are again on the side of the protesters, and not the hardworking public.

‘These protests are antagonising the public against the climate cause and wasting vital resources, especially when local police teams are taken away from solving crimes such as burglaries and vehicle theft.’

conservative MSP Stephen Kerr said it was ‘totally bonkers’ that labour has aligned itself with JSO given its recent protests, such as disrupting the Premiership Rugby final at Twickenham and the chelsea Flower Show.

It is understood Sir Keir has met Mr Vince but they do not speak regularly. He previously stated Mr Vince’s donations ‘will not make a blind bit of difference to the tough line I take in relation to Just Stop Oil’.

A spokesman for the leader of the Opposition said: ‘Keir has been outspoken in his condemnation of JSO who he believes have put lives and livelihoods at risk. The idea that they have influenced our policy is for the birds.’

JSO claimed it had ‘won’ because it ‘pushed no new oil up the policy agenda’.

‘Risking lives and livelihoods’