Wes Streeting Proposes New North Sea Drilling and £250 Million Global Talent Programme

Wes Streeting said he would approve production at the Jackdaw gas field and the Rosebank oil and gas field and direct the resulting tax receipts into heat pumps, home insulation, batteries and other electrification projects. The MP for Ilford North stated that the revenue should cut household and business energy bills while lowering carbon emissions.

He argued that blocking new North Sea licences would keep costs high and risk handing power to Reform UK.

Streeting will deliver a speech next week that sets out his policy positions ahead of a possible Labour leadership contest. He resigned as health secretary in May. He also proposed a £250 million global talent programme to recruit 20,000 scientists, engineers and AI experts to the UK over three years.

Streeting said the programme would target researchers affected by Donald Trump’s policies in the United States. “We should open our door to the best and the brightest,” he said. “Trump is saying to world-leading scientists, engineers, AI experts – you’re not welcome here.

The former health secretary added that voters concerned about overall migration levels still supported inviting future Nobel laureates. He previously backed new North Sea drilling licences. John Healey resigned as defence secretary last week over funding disputes.

Labour recorded heavy losses in May’s local and devolved elections. Streeting told the Guardian that the government should compel X and other platforms to help pay for rebuilding after riots in Belfast. He said incitement online should face the same legal consequences as offline offences.

Andy Burnham is contesting next week’s Makerfield by-election in an attempt to return to Westminster.