Shevaun Haviland, director of the British Chambers of Commerce, has called on Andy Burnham to authorize continued extraction of remaining North Sea oil and gas reserves to mitigate employment disruption in Scotland and northeastern regions. The organization represents 50,000 businesses employing 7.5 million people across the country.
Haviland argued that relying on imported liquefied natural gas represents a more expensive and environmentally problematic alternative to utilizing domestic North Sea resources at the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields. She contended that while businesses support the transition toward clean energy and recognize opportunities within offshore wind development, the shift is not occurring rapidly enough or creating sufficient employment to absorb workers displaced by declining oil and gas operations. She highlighted concerns that local supply chains are being depleted rather than retooled to support emerging industries, with many goods still imported from overseas.
The BCC director expressed particular alarm about potential job losses comparable to those experienced during coal industry decline, citing apprehension from chambers in Aberdeen and the northeast. She noted that offshore wind represents a sector where Britain maintains global leadership, yet insufficient investment in domestic supply chain development has created a concerning employment gap.
Beyond energy policy, Haviland addressed the incoming administration’s broader economic challenges, urging Burnham to tackle the cost-of-doing-business crisis. Research published by the BCC indicates business costs have increased 70 percent over the past decade, encompassing taxation, regulation, minimum wage increases, and trade friction resulting from Brexit. She specifically identified business rates and energy costs as areas requiring immediate attention, noting that one-quarter of BCC members reported struggling to pay energy bills even before recent regional tensions.
Haviland cautioned against imposing additional business taxes, characterizing such measures as counterproductive to addressing fiscal challenges. She emphasized that economic growth represents the primary path forward and warned that further taxation would trigger a downward economic spiral. Regarding potential EU relations, she indicated businesses preferred pragmatic, specific solutions to outstanding issues over reopening broader discussions about EU membership arrangements.