Andy Burnham has signalled a shift in Labour's stance on North Sea oil and gas, saying he will adopt a 'pragmatic' approach that could see new drilling licences issued despite a manifesto pledge to the contrary. The prime minister's comments have sparked concern among environmental campaigners and some Labour MPs.
Burnham's comments on North Sea oil
Speaking to reporters during a defence-related visit to Cumbria, Burnham revealed he told US President Donald Trump in a phone call that he would take a pragmatic approach to the North Sea. 'There is a resource there. When people are struggling, we can't ignore that,' Burnham said. The UK summary of the call had not mentioned opening up North Sea oil, but Trump later claimed Burnham had made that commitment.
Manifesto pledge under threat
Labour's 2024 election manifesto explicitly ruled out issuing new drilling licences in the North Sea. Burnham has previously said he would stick to the manifesto promises, but his latest remarks suggest a potential departure. It remains unclear whether his pragmatic approach would involve allowing more drilling on existing licences or issuing new ones, such as for the Jackdaw gasfield east of Aberdeen or the Rosebank oilfield west of Shetland.
Reaction from MPs and campaigners
Any move to stretch the manifesto pledge would likely anger a number of Labour MPs, including Ed Miliband, the former energy secretary now foreign secretary. Miliband once described Rosebank as 'climate vandalism'. Zack Polanski, leader of the Green party in England and Wales, condemned Burnham's comments, saying they were 'particularly alarming' during a period of drought and wildfires. 'Allowing new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea will worsen the climate breakdown, putting more lives at risk and doing untold damage to our economy,' Polanski said.
Potential loophole: tiebacks
Some speculation suggests that new projects could be approved as tiebacks, where new fields are connected to already-approved facilities via pipelines. This approach could be argued not to breach the manifesto, but campaigners warn it would still increase fossil fuel production. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh, who replaced Miliband, has expressed similar views on the need for pragmatism.
Timing and context
Burnham's hint at a relaxed approach came on the same day firefighters battled a major heathland fire in Suffolk and a day after half of England was declared officially in drought. The timing has heightened criticism from environmental groups. Trump, referring to Burnham as 'the new gentleman', said: 'He said he's going to open up North Sea oil. If he does that, you're going to be a wealthy country.'
