Academics say King’s Speech proposals should go farther

University of East London academics have expressed concerns about government plans that would see new North Sea oil and gas exploration licenses granted annually.

Under the proposed new legislation, announced in a King’s Speech given on Tuesday by His Majesty King Charles, oil and gas companies will be able to bid for new licences to drill for fossil fuels every year, with the government saying it will reduce the UK’s reliance on international energy markets and hostile foreign governments.

But Robert de Jong, director of UEL’s Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability, said the proposals would mean the country lagging behind in the race to reduce carbon emissions. He said,

The UK is continuing to fall behind in the global drive to deliver renewable and sustainable energy. Today’s announcement of the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill indicates the UK’s lack of investment and market leadership in supporting the reduction in global carbon emissions.

He called on the government to take action to support moves to a low-carbon economy, rather than allowing more drilling in the North Sea. He said,

Introducing legislation that continues to support high carbon emitting energy sources without increasing legislation to drive renewable or low carbon energy will significantly impact the future of the UK industries and climate. The UK needs a long-term approach where legislation can support a clear transition to a low carbon future but also avoid the risks of being impacted by global markets where cleaner supply chains and low carbon energy innovation can thrive.

He cast doubt on whether the new legislation would enable the UK to meet its net zero target, saying,

King Charles is a global advocate for environmental protection but today’s King’s Speech falls significantly, and disappointingly, short in delivering the transition needed for the UK to lead or even meet its global climate change goals

Dr Hasan Baig, a senior lecturer in the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering said,

The King’s Speech, primarily written by the government under prime minister Rishi Sunak, now seems to be moving away from the climate justice and net zero agenda and is simply moving the goalposts on its targets.

We hear that there is a lot of oil and gas from the North Sea that can play a crucial role in our energy mix. Digging deeper doesn’t necessarily provide us with a clear insight about why the government wants to introduce this new bill for issuing licences every year.

Will it lower our energy bills? No. Does it impact the net zero agenda? No. Does it improve the energy security in the UK or is it being exported? It will be exported. What is the point of the extraction of oil, which is much heavier oil than our local refineries can deal with, which will simply be put up for sale for export on the international markets?

The plan announced by King Charles in a speech written by the government, was criticised by Labour Leader, Keir Starmer, who called the new bill “a political gimmick.”

There was a similar scepticism from UEL academics to proposals on criminal justice, with the government bringing forward bills covering sentencing laws, police powers and the treatment of victims of crime.

In a joint statement senior lecturer Dr Olubunmi Onafuwa, criminal law lecturer Mark Tsagas and senior lecturer Patrick Glennon of the Law, Justice and Policing Department at UEL’s Royal Docks School of Business and Law, said,

There is not a single syllable on how all these changes are to be funded, given the fact that we have a criminal justice system that is already in crisis. The nettle that the government has failed to grasp is the need for real investment at every level of the system of England and Wales.

Under the new laws, stiffer sentences would be introduced for some serious offences, with killers convicted of the most horrific crimes never released from jail, while some sexual offenders, including rapists, would not be let out early from prison.

Police would also be given greater powers to enter properties without a warrant to seize stolen goods, such as mobile phones.

It is the first time King Charles has delivered a King’s Speech, which outlines the government’s plans for new legislation over the next year. The government announced 22 bills, the lowest number since 2014, in what is possibly the last session of parliament before an election.