Sir Edward Leigh

Sir Edward Leigh

Conservative — Gainsborough

Speaking in the House of Commons on 24 March 2026

Debate

Middle East: Economic Update

Contribution

In an attempt to get some consensus here, I commend one part of the Chancellor’s statement, where she said: “We must guarantee that our domestic oil and gas industry can…play a role in our energy system for decades to come”. Is there not a sensible, middle-of-the-way approach here? We should by all means proceed with green energy—such as offshore wind, in which we lead the world, in the North sea off the Lincolnshire coast—but we should also keep an open mind about new extraction from the North sea. I was listening carefully to what she said to the shadow Chancellor. Will the Chancellor confirm today that the Energy Secretary will keep an open mind when he considers these licences, so that we can guarantee our resilience in the future?

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