Public Attitudes Towards UK Oil and Gas Production
New polling from Opinium, conducted on behalf of Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), explores public attitudes towards domestic oil and gas production, the future of the North Sea energy industry and government decisions on major energy projects.
The research finds that 63% of UK adults support continued domestic oil production, while 55% support increasing production. Among those who voted Labour in the 2024 General Election, 72% agree that oil and gas will remain essential for the foreseeable future, while 62% believe stopping their use would cause significant damage to the economy.
The polling also explores attitudes towards the Jackdaw and Rosebank developments. Among 2024 Labour voters, 68% agree that the government’s decision to approve Jackdaw was the right one, while 65% believe the Rosebank oil field should also be approved. The research additionally examines how decisions on domestic energy production could influence perceptions of political parties, alongside wider attitudes towards the UK oil and gas industry.
The findings have been published by Offshore Energies UK (OEUK).
Research methodology
Opinium conducted two online surveys on behalf of Offshore Energies UK (OEUK):
- UK nationally representative survey: 2,050 UK adults aged 18+, surveyed between 28th and 30th October 2026. Results were weighted to be nationally and politically representative.
- 2024 Labour voters survey: 1,000 people who voted Labour at the 2024 General Election, surveyed between 28th October and 2nd November 2026. Results were weighted to be politically and nationally representative of the target population.
Data tables
The full data tables for both surveys are available below:
- [UK nationally representative polling – October 2026] (2,050 UK adults)
- [2024 Labour voters polling – October–November 2026] (1,000 Labour 2024 voters)