Ed Miliband has denied reports that he has ordered an immediate ban on new drilling in the North Sea.
The Daily Telegraph claimed that he had overruled his own advisers to impose the policy after less than a week as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
The report was widely shared on social media by high-profile figures including shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho and former SNP leader Alex Salmond.
But a spokesperson for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero said: “This piece is a complete fabrication - it invents meetings and decisions that have not taken place.
“As previously stated, we will not issue new licences to explore new fields. We will also not revoke existing oil and gas licences and will manage existing fields for the entirety of their lifespan.
“We are working with the North Sea Transition Authority to ensure a fair and balanced transition in the North Sea.”
Labour’s election manifesto pledged that the party would not grant new North Sea exploration licences, but would not cancel those which had already been granted.
Union bosses have warned that the policy could cost thousands of jobs in the oil and gas sector.