SIR Keir Starmer has insisted oil and gas will be part of the UK energy supply for “many years” to come, but the Labour leader has refused to back down on plans to block new licenses for exploration in the North Sea. 

The Labour leader has come in for fierce criticism from industry, the unions and some members of his own shadow cabinet over the proposal. 

Gary Smith, the GMB’s General Secretary called the position adopted by the leadership as “naive” warning that it could have a devastating impact on thousands of workers. 

David Whitehouse, the Chief Executive of trade body, Offshore Energies UK described it as  “no way to treat” the 200,000 workers in the industry, 90,000 of who work in Scotland. 

READ MORE: Scottish Labour back Starmer's oil and gas ban despite union concern

Speaking on a visit to Hinkley Point C in Somerset on Monday, Sir Keir seemingly softened his position, telling press there would be in the North Sea for another 30 years. 

He said: “I think we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity now to seize the jobs of the future.

“Oil and gas will be part of that because where there is existing licences they will go on to the 2050s and so oil and gas will be part of our energy mix for many, many years to come.

“But we need to seize the opportunities for the next generation of jobs. And that is in renewables, it is in nuclear, Hinkley Point C here today, staring at the future.

“We have got 9,000 people working on this site, they are going to power the UK and they are the jobs of the future.”

He said that both Labour and the GMB wanted a “government with a strategic purpose that seizes those opportunities, doesn’t see job losses, actually sees an increase in the number of jobs, because we have taken the tough decisions to go forwards to the next generation of energy power for not just the next 10 years, but something like Hinkley Point C here, a 100-year project.”

READ MORE: MSPs set to vote on new oil and gas licenses after Labour ban call

Sir Keir is due to set out his plan in Scotland later this month when he outlines his “national mission” to cut the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels. 

Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Mr Smith said that banning new licenses was shortsighted: “There is a lot of oil and gas in the North Sea and the alternatives facing the country are that we either produce our own oil and gas – take responsibility for our carbon emissions – or we are going to import more oil and gas.

“I think workers in the petrochemical industry… are going to be very worried about what Labour are saying and I think it is time for Labour to focus on the right thing rather than what they think is the popular thing.”

He said that the sector had been promised “tens of thousands of jobs” in renewable energy “time and time again” but that they “simply have not emerged”, adding: “That has been the sorry state of the renewables industry around the country.”

Mr Smith said there was a “lack of intellectual rigour” behind the plans.

“I think Labour have been naive,” he added. 

READ MORE: Keir Starmer oil and gas ban plan blasted by sector and unions

Earlier this week, it emerged that there were splits in the Scottish Labour group over the plan. 

Pauline McNeill and Michael Marra — both GMB members — reportedly raised concerns. 

Sir Keir also faces resistance from Shadow Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray and Shadow Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds. 

The policy has been blamed on Ed Miliband, the Shadow Net-Zero Secretary.