Kemi Badenoch to launch ‘Get Britain Drilling’ campaign: comment

Commenting on the news that Kemi Badenoch is to launch a “Get Britain Drilling” campaign calling for Britain to maximise its oil and gas reserves [1] Dr Simon Cran-McGreehin, Head of Analysis at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said: “Experts are clear that more North Sea drilling would have little if any impact on gas prices in the UK given that international events largely dictate the price [2]. Anyone paying a gas bill after the Russian invasion of Ukraine knows that. British renewables enable the UK to unplug from this volatile international energy system, with wind lowering the wholesale power price by around a third last year. [3] 

"Cutting the Energy Profits Levy at a time when oil and gas prices are surging would reduce revenues into the Treasury which could be used for mitigating the effects of price rises on bills.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. The Conservatives launch their “Get Britain Drilling” campaign formally on Monday 30 March. 

2. Experts say that "the prices UK consumers pay for oil and gas are driven by international markets" and that "squeezing additional oil and gas production from the UK... will have negligible impact on the UK cost of living" - UKERC: https://ukerc.ac.uk/news/drilling-for-oil-and-gas-will-not-reduce-bills-or-deliver-energy-security-heres-why/

3. ECIU: https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/wind-farms-cut-power-prices-by-almost-a-third-in-2025 

For more information or for interview requests:

George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, t: 020 8156 5305, m: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net