Andy Burnham 'will take more pragmatic approach' to North Sea oil and gas
Lucy Powell, Labour’s deputy leader, said Mr Burnham would usher in a ‘change of emphasis’
Andy Burnham will take a more "pragmatic" approach to North Sea oil and gas, the deputy leader of the UK Labour Party has said, as Donald Trump celebrated reports the incoming prime minister could open up new drilling.
Lucy Powell said Mr Burnham would usher in a "change of emphasis" on fossil fuels when he formally takes up office today, but would not change the party’s existing policy.
Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which Mr Burnham has promised to honour, said it would not issue new North Sea licences, arguing they would “not take a penny off bills” or improve energy security while accelerating climate change.
However, the controversial Rosebank and Jackdaw fields were previously given the go-ahead by the Conservatives, before they had to be reconsidered following a successful legal challenge by climate campaigners.
They are now subject to consultations which close next month.
Ms Powell said the media reports about Mr Burnham’s plans were “speculation”.
But she added: “We've been absolutely clear that North Sea gas and oil is an important part of that transition, it's an important part of the mix, and I think what Andy's talking about is taking a more pragmatic approach and working with the industry to make sure it can contribute to that transition and to the mix that is needed over the long term.
"So let's see what he's got to say about that, but I don't think it's a change of policy, it's more a change of emphasis."
She said Rosebank and Jackdaw are currently subject to a legal process.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Mr Trump hailed reports of a shift in stance.
He wrote: “The People of Aberdeen, in Scotland, are dancing in the streets because the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has stated that he will be opening up, all the way, the invaluable North Sea Oil!”
The US president, a vocal supporter of fossil fuels, said further drilling in the North Sea would “make the United Kingdom, from a Poverty Stricken Disaster, to one of the Richest Countries anywhere in the World”.
And in his latest attack on wind power he suggested the UK would “move the old and horrible looking windmills, which loom over and destroy the City of Aberdeen”.
Allies of the new Labour leader have said he intends to make a “dynamic” start to his premiership on Monday, when he formally takes over from Sir Keir Starmer.
In a speech in Downing Street, he is expected to set out plans to provide “breathing space” on the cost of living and bring economic growth to every part of the UK, but details of his plans remain unclear.
In his pitch for the Labour leadership, Mr Burnham focused on devolution and said he wanted to decentralise Westminster, including an extension of the prime minister’s office in Manchester dubbed “No 10 North”.
The past week has seen a significant lobbying effort in favour of new North Sea drilling, with energy industry leaders and trade union bosses publishing an open letter to Labour MPs calling for them to back North Sea oil and gas.
They argued this would reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports from “volatile regions” that involved higher emissions, making it a “more responsible choice for the climate”.
Industry bosses also want to see the energy profits levy (EPL), or windfall tax, scrapped and replaced.
But Scottish Green co-leader Gillian Mackay urged Mr Burnham to “rule out any new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea and halt the climate-wrecking Rosebank development”.
She said: “Anything less would fly in the face of the science and the manifesto Labour was elected on while doing nothing to lower bills or protect us from global price hikes.
“There can be no more mixed messages or attempts to have it both ways when it comes to the climate crisis.
“The next few years are critical for the future of our planet. From wildfires and heatwaves to flooding, we can all see the problem.
“We need a prime minister who will invest in our communities, deliver a genuinely just transition and tackle the climate crisis by making the super-wealthy pay their fair share.”
Opponents of further drilling say the global oil market means extra production in the North Sea would make no difference to energy bills, while being more expensive to extract.
There is also no guarantee that additional North Sea oil will be used in the UK, which exports most of the oil it already produces.
Amy Cameron, programme director at Greenpeace UK, previously said allowing new drilling would be “a massive own goal” while the UK was “literally on fire”.
She said: “The science is crystal clear: our only fighting chance at a future with bearable temperatures and a thriving green economy depends on rapidly phasing out fossil fuels.
“Turning our backs on that to squeeze out the last few drops from a dying oilfield – which will not lower our bills, create many new jobs or secure our energy supply – would be sheer folly.”
Arguments over North Sea oil have proved a flashpoint throughout Sir Keir’s premiership, with Conservative backing for more drilling helping the party win its first parliamentary by-election in Scotland for almost 50 years last month, in Aberdeen South.
Support for new drilling could also complicate Mr Burnham’s choice of chancellor, a decision he said on Friday he had not yet made.
One of the leading candidates is thought to be Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who has been a strong supporter of Labour’s manifesto commitment on the North Sea, while reports suggest Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood may be in line for the crucial role instead.
Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch has criticised Mr Burnham for not setting out his plans before Monday, describing his comments so far as “airy-fairy stuff”.
The Conservative leader told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg she thought Mr Burnham was “a people pleaser” rather than someone who would make “tough decisions”.
Mr Burnham has pledged to reach out to other parties and end a culture of political “point scoring” at Westminster.
But Mrs Badenoch said she would “score as many points as possible if it means the right thing for the country”.
She added: “What I’m not going to do is give Andy Burnham a blank cheque. This is a man who doesn’t want scrutiny, he doesn’t want anyone asking him tough questions, he just wants to be a people pleaser.”
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