Sir Keir Starmer has been slammed by the boss of one of Britain’s biggest trade unions over his ban on new North Sea Oil drilling.
Gary Smith, the general secretary of the 600,000-strong GMB, took aim at the Leader of the Opposition in a private meeting with union chiefs on Tuesday afternoon.
The Scottish trade unionist is understood to have said blocking all new licences for North Sea oil and gas would be “bad for investment, bad for jobs and bad for national security”.
Smith’s criticisms, which come after RMT leader Mick Lynch slammed Starmer for letting Labour become a “bland version of the Tory Party”, come amid growing tensions between Starmer and union fat-cats.
Gary Smith, the general secretary of the 600,000-strong GMB, took aim at Sir Keir Starmer
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Starmer’s stance on Net Zero has been identified as a specific area driving a wedge between Southside and Labour’s traditional union base.
The GMB, which donated £10.85million to the Labour Party between 2010 and 2015, pulled some of its funding in 2021 after a London Council sacked an employee who is one of its members.
A Labour source did not deny the exchange between Starmer and Smith.
The insider told The Daily Telegraph: “Their position is clear. Our position is clear.
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GMB union chief Gary Smith isn't happy with Starmer
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“But we are working together on the way forward. Workers are at the heart of our energy plan.”
A GMB spokesperson declined to provide comment to the Telegraph. GB News has approached the union for comment.
Labour has vowed to not sign off any new licences for oil and gas drilling in the North Sea if it wins office at the next general election.
Rishi Sunak similarly criticised Starmer over his policy last year.
An aerial view of an oil production platform Troll B in the North Sea
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The Prime Minister claimed: “Those like Sir Keir Starmer who want to ban new licences but make us ever more dependent on hostile states like Russia”.
A Conservative Party source added: “The GMB union are bang on the money on this.
“This is a policy purely designed to appeal to affluent metropolitans at the expense of the national interest.
“We are going to need gas for many years to come and Sir Keir wants all of that to be imported supporting jobs in Qatar and Nigeria rather than Britain.”
However, Smith has long been critical of the Tories handling of the North Sea oil and gas industry.
Keir Starmer has been criticised for his stance
PASmith, who previously served as GMB’s Scottish secretary, made his concerns clear at a gathering of the Trade Union & Labour Party Liaison Organisation.
The meeting, which consisted of around 25 people at Southside, brought together unions affiliated with Labour and senior party figures.
Labour figures and union bosses meet every couple of months but this is rarely made public.
The meetings offer a chance to privately debate policy and internal party matters.
Tuesday’s meeting reportedly also included conversations about Labour’s stance on Gaza and Starmer’s pledge to borrow £28billion a year to fund green investment.
