Miatta Fahnbulleh has warned she will decide if new North Sea oil exploration can go ahead, not Andy Burnham, amid fears she will block the Rosebank development on environmental grounds. 

The Energy Secretary said that authority to green-light drilling west of Shetland rested with her amid questions about Labour's support for it.

Ms Fahnbulleh spoke after she yesterday approved a smaller gas exploration program in the Jackdaw field east of Aberdeen, telling reporters this afternoon that it was a 'climate no-brainer' to make sure gas used in the UK was produced domestically.

She also said praise from Donald Trump for her decision that followed was 'a high of my career'.  

But she declined to talk about the benefits of the much larger Rosebank scheme, having yesterday told the Guardian it was 'an oilfield that is mainly for export' with little impact on UK consumers.

She addressed reports that suggested that the Prime Minister or Chancellor John Healey would ultimately say yes or no to a scheme that could secure thousands of jobs.  

'Because it is so contested, process really matters and the last government learned that because they didn’t do the process properly and that is why we have had this massive delay because it was contested and it got turned over in the courts,' she said.

'Ultimately only I can make that decision. I really enjoyed reading bits of the media saying ‘'Andy is deciding this, John is deciding that’' .. actually only I can make that decision and the framework is really tight so even my spads (advisers) don’t see the documents, they don’t know the decisions I make.'

It came after Labour was warned failure to green-light major new oil extraction in the North Sea would benefit Vladimir Putin's Russia.

Mr Burnham's Government is facing increasing pressure to approve the Rosebank development after yesterday clearance for Jackdaw.

Shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie said: 'Every barrel of oil the UK exports to Europe is one less barrel they would buy from Russia ... approve Rosebank now.'

Writing in the Mail today he said: 'If Labour have genuinely had a volte-face and decided to recognise the economic and strategic importance of domestic oil and gas production, then surely now is time to give Rosebank the green light and bring an end to the uncertainty surrounding its future. 

'Because this is not simply about one development. It is about the message Britain sends to an industry that needs long-term confidence to invest, recruit and plan for the future.'

It came as a Labour backbench opponent of both schemes admitted that Jackdaw was 'a drop in the ocean' compared to Rosebank in the eyes of environmentalists.

Clive Lewis told ITV's Peston: 'The question now for people like me is (whether) this is levelling the pitch to say ''we are a pragmatic government, however we are not going to go with Rosebank because Rosebank is of a different order of magnitude to Jackdaw''. And that is possible. 

'Or it could be they are rolling the pitch to see how they build up to then announce Rosebank.'

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman said it was 'speculation' that Rosebank would be blocked.

'As the Energy Secretary has said, each project will be assessed on its own merits,' the spokesman added.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called for Labour to repeal its ban on all new oil and gas licences.

'We have the resources, the expertise and the people,' she said.

'What we have lost is the confidence to make tough decisions.'

US President Donald Trump, who has called for more drilling, said the UK should now go 'full blast' in exploiting North Sea resources.

Responding to the news, Mr Trump said: 'Great news for the wealth and prosperity of the United Kingdom, and the wonderful region of Aberdeen.

'The UK has started drilling in the North Sea, one of the greatest and most prosperous areas of OIL in the World.

'They should go FULL BLAST!!! This will make the UK very wealthy again. TAKE DOWN THE COSTLY AND RIDICULOUS WINDMILLS!'