The Chancellor, John Healey, supports approving the Rosebank North Sea oilfield, while the Energy Secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, is leaning towards rejecting it, The Guardian reports. Fahnbulleh is the minister in charge of the decision.
The Guardian reports that no final decision has been made and that one is expected by the end of the year. It says the final call may fall to the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham.
The Mail on Sunday has claimed that Healey and Burnham agreed to promote the project. A government spokesperson declined to comment on that claim and said the decision is a matter for the energy secretary, according to the Guardian.
Healey told ITV last week that he expected oil and gas revenues to contribute to a new energy fund. The Guardian suggests this may mean he is counting on Rosebank proceeds. That is the paper's inference, and Healey has not said so. Jackdaw, the only field approved so far, produces gas only.
Labour MPs warn that approving Rosebank could provoke significant resistance within the party, the Guardian says. The government has not confirmed any of the reported positions.