GMB warns Labour net zero drive is killing UK energy jobs

Summary: Britain’s energy industry is heading for a steep jobs collapse as Labour’s net zero strategy collides with trade unions, investors, and energy producers. The GMB union has warned that Ed Miliband’s policies are accelerating job losses while shifting manufacturing and energy security overseas. Critics say the rush away from North Sea oil and gas risks repeating past industrial disasters.

Union warning over energy jobs

Labour is facing an open revolt from one of its biggest union backers over its handling of the energy transition.

The GMB union says government policy is driving a rapid contraction of the UK’s oil and gas sector without credible replacement work for skilled workers.

“Our governments seem stricken, almost delusional, in the face of onrushing disaster.”

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The warning comes from Louise Gilmour, GMB Scotland secretary, who says thousands of well-paid jobs are being lost while ministers rely on future promises instead of current reality.

North Sea ban and punitive taxes

At the centre of the dispute is Labour’s ban on new North Sea exploration and the continued use of the Energy Profits Levy.

Industry figures say some operators now face tax rates exceeding 100 per cent of profits, making UK investment commercially irrational.

A report by the Jobs Foundation estimates around 200 oil and gas jobs are being lost every week, with employment expected to halve by the early 2030s.

Investment and energy security risks

The report warns Britain is surrendering energy independence while competitors move in the opposite direction.

Norway continues to approve new exploration, while UK firms are reportedly redirecting capital to more predictable jurisdictions.

This mirrors broader concerns about Britain’s shrinking industrial base, a theme explored in coverage of how Labour governments often fracture under internal pressure.

Renewables jobs promise questioned

Ed Miliband has claimed hundreds of thousands of new green jobs will be created, but unions say the supply chain tells a different story.

Major components for offshore wind projects are being manufactured overseas, including turbine foundations shipped from China.

This disconnect reflects a wider pattern seen in debates around globalisation and sovereignty, including how Britain’s economic autonomy remains constrained.

Communities at risk

Aberdeen and surrounding areas face the sharpest impact, with tens of thousands of livelihoods linked directly or indirectly to offshore energy.

Union leaders warn the consequences could rival the social damage caused by past industrial closures.

Without a credible industrial strategy, critics argue Britain risks repeating past mistakes while chasing international climate prestige, a mindset also criticised in debates about elite-driven global policy making.