The Power of Pragmatism
- simon7110
- Nov 14, 2025
- 3 min read
When ideology trumps reality, businesses pay the price.
For the first time since 1964, no new oil wells have been drilled in UK waters.
Not because the North Sea has run dry.
Not because technology has failed.
But because policy has.
While the UK government congratulates itself for “global leadership” in climate virtue, Norway, drilling in the same North Sea basin, is moving full steam ahead.
Thirty-plus new wells this year.
Billions in new investment.
Jobs protected. Tax revenues secured.
Energy security strengthened.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer.
Same geology. Same ocean.
Different philosophy.
The ideology trap
The UK’s windfall tax now stands at 78% on oil and gas profits. That, coupled with a ban on new exploration licences, has sent investor confidence to record lows.
And why wouldn’t it? When a government announces, mid-project, that your future profits may be raided again, who in their right mind would drill another hole?
In the short term, it sounds good on paper and wins plaudits from the coterie of eco-worriers.
“Tax the fossil fuels. Fund the green transition.”
But in reality, it’s like deciding to close the bakery before the farm’s harvested any wheat.
Transition is not an event. It’s a process... one that requires realism, reliability and time.
Meanwhile in Norway
Across the water, Norway is quietly proving what pragmatic energy leadership looks like.
It continues to issue new exploration licences every year.
Its fiscal regime is stable, predictable and transparent.
It uses the revenue from oil and gas to fund its green transition, not suffocate it.
That’s how you build a trillion-dollar sovereign wealth fund and lead the world in renewables.
Norway hasn’t chosen between green and secure... it’s built both.
What the UK risks losing
Every barrel of oil or cubic metre of gas that Britain chooses not to produce doesn’t disappear... it simply becomes an import.
Imported oil. Imported gas. Imported risk.
The UK now produces less than half the gas it consumes, relying heavily on Norway and the US. If global markets tighten (as they did during the Ukraine crisis) British businesses and households will be first in line for price spikes.
It’s a self-inflicted wound.
By shutting down exploration while still depending on fossil fuels, the UK has traded independence for import bills.
And while the slogans sound noble... “No new drilling!"... the real outcome is lost jobs, lost tax revenue, and greater carbon leakage, as we buy fuel from countries with lower environmental standards.
Lessons for business owners
At Wolf Pack Energy, we help our customers find better rates and protect them, as far as possible, from the volatility of the energy market... and the stupidity of politicians.
When governments create instability, it’s businesses that face the fallout:
More volatile wholesale markets.
Shorter-term, less predictable contracts.
A shrinking pool of domestic suppliers.
Individually, we have little control over Westminster.
We also have no control over the energy markets, or world events that affect the energy market... anyone who claims otherwise is a fool... but we can control how exposed your business is to policy-driven shocks.
That’s where smart buying groups and energy literacy makes the difference between reaction and resilience.
The power of pragmatism
True leadership isn’t about grand gestures or headlines.
Norway gets it.
Britain used to.
At Wolf Pack Energy we provide solutions for businesses that are based in reality, not ideology.
Wolf Pack Energy. Powering businesses with clarity, collaboration and common sense.
01902 519 069
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