Can We Trust Kemi?

With a well-funded and highly organised opposition among her own MPs, her 'drill, baby, drill' agenda may be dead on arrival

We must welcome Kemi Badenoch’s promise to make the most of our North Sea reserves of oil and gas. In a speech to the Society of Petroleum Engineers Offshore Europe conference in Aberdeen this week, she declared:

"Under the Conservatives, British energy will power British prosperity.

Labour sees the North Sea as a relic of the past; we see it as a cornerstone of Britain's future.

By restoring common sense to energy policy, we will unlock billions in revenue, secure our supply, and rebuild confidence in the UK economy.

According to the Mail:

The Tories have pledged to unshackle the industry after Labour banned new oil and gas licences.

Mrs Badenoch has also said her party would reverse a block on providing "financial or promotional support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas".

The North Sea Transition Authority would be renamed the North Sea Authority and given the overarching mandate to "maximise the extraction of our oil and gas".

However, the real question is whether the green wing of her party will let her get away with it. As on so many issues, the Tory Party is hopelessly split down the middle, from Brexit to mass immigration and fiscal competence to Net Zero.