Almost two-thirds of Labour supporters want to see the Rosebank oil field approved, despite Ed Miliband once describing it as “climate vandalism”.
Rosebank, in the North Atlantic, is Britain’s largest untapped field and is estimated to contain 300 million barrels of recoverable oil.
However, work has been on hold after a legal challenge on climate grounds.
Environmentalists have fiercely opposed the site, but industry leaders say it would boost the UK’s economy and energy security.
Now new polling for Offshore Energies UK revealed 65 per cent of those who backed Labour in the 2024 general election wanted to see the project get the green light.
Less than a fifth (17 per cent) want it turned down.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has promised a “pragmatic” approach to oil and gas.
Last month, Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh approved Jackdaw, a giant gas field that had faced a similar legal challenge as Rosebank.
Several Labour MPs criticised the approval, including Richard Burgon, who called it a “an absolutely terrible decision”.
“The Government has got this badly wrong,” he said. “It must not repeat the same mistake with Rosebank.”
Yet the new research, by Opinium, found 68 per cent of Labour voters believe Ms Fahnbulleh was right to approve Jackdaw.
She will also be making the decision on Rosebank’s future.
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Almost three quarters (72 per cent) of those who voted for the party in 2024 agreed oil and gas are “essential for the foreseeable future”.
The polling – which questioned 2,050 adults across the UK – found 55 per cent of people were in favour of increasing the country’s domestic oil and gas production, with more than three out of five (63 per cent) saying Rosebank should be given the go-ahead.
David Whitehouse, chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, said: “These results offer Government an opportunity to align with public opinion and start working through the pipeline of North Sea projects that are awaiting approval.
“The public are clearly in agreement with the new Prime Minister’s ‘pragmatic’ policy on the North Sea, which will once again be tested as the final decision on Rosebank is made in the coming months.
“Investing in North Sea energy strengthens Britain’s economy, supports UK supply chains and industrial communities, and builds our energy resilience.”
The survey also revealed a higher number of 18- to 34-year-olds (39 per cent) viewed the oil and gas industry positively than those aged 35 to 49 (31 per cent) or 50 to 64 (35 per cent).
The news comes the day after ministers introduced its Energy Independence Bill.
This includes a commitment to outlaw all future exploration licences for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.
Both Jackdaw and Rosebank had already received licences from the former Tory government.
Speaking about the new legislation, Ms Fahnbulleh said: “Through this Bill, we will build a clean energy future which people feel in their pockets, households and communities, ensuring support reaches those who need it most.”
But David Bucknall, CEO of Ineos Energy, said the North Sea ban would damage the country.
He said: “The Government’s legislation to ban new drilling in the North Sea would actively decrease energy security in the UK… Leaving existing resources in the ground at home while we import the same resources from abroad makes our energy autonomy a victim of global instability.”
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