Andy Burnham is preparing to unveil plans to accelerate oil and gas activity in the North Sea after he becomes prime minister, the BBC has been told. The move is framed to sit within his wider early agenda, which also includes greater public control of utilities, a council house-building programme and measures aimed at easing the cost of living.
Burnham has said he will follow Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which pledged not to issue new exploration licences while honouring those that already exist. That distinction is central to the debate: the immediate controversy surrounds two Scottish fields, Rosebank and Jackdaw, which were approved under the previous Conservative government but had approvals overturned following legal challenges in 2025. Both fields already hold exploration licences; the key question is whether production will be granted.
Because legal processes around those sites are ongoing, any explicit sign-off cannot be made immediately. Sources close to Burnham say final decisions have not been reached, and it is likely that formal approvals, if they come, will be processed by the incoming energy secretary rather than announced by the prime minister. However, insiders expect Burnham to indicate support for unlocking production from existing licences and to push to speed up development of many licences that remain dormant.
That approach aims to thread a needle: argue for increased domestic energy output without breaking the manifesto commitment on new licences. Supporters within Labour and trade unions say accelerating work on already-licensed fields will protect jobs, sustain energy-linked industries and signal confidence in Britain’s productive regions. The oil and gas sector, along with some unions, lobbied Burnham before the leadership contest, urging the party to “back North Sea oil and gas” as a statement of economic and industrial intent.
But the proposal has drawn strong criticism from within the party and from environmental campaigners. Some Labour MPs and figures such as Rachael Maskell have expressed unease, arguing that the UK is confronting a climate emergency and must follow scientific advice to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The Green Party called approval of further drilling the wrong response and said it would not lower bills for households. Ed Miliband, the current energy secretary and a likely senior figure in Burnham’s cabinet, has been a vocal defender of Labour’s existing manifesto line and previously criticised the issuing of licences like that for Rosebank.
Externally, pressure for more domestic drilling came from the Conservatives and Reform UK, which argued that failing to exploit UK energy resources is reckless amid international tensions that push up prices. Former US President Donald Trump also publicly urged opening up North Sea oil during the earlier debate over Labour’s energy policy.
Burnham’s announcement is expected to be part of a wider, rapid policy push after he takes office: alongside energy and utilities moves, he plans a visible programme on housing, high streets and education, and has talked of reforms to social care and devolution. He returned to Parliament via a recent by-election and emerged as the uncontested Labour leader with broad backing from MPs and affiliated unions. He says he will finalise his cabinet before formally taking over and is seeking a fast start focused on tangible change.
The coming weeks will test how Burnham balances competing priorities: short-term energy security, industrial and employment concerns, and long-term climate commitments. How he navigates the legal constraints around specific fields, the role he gives to his energy secretary, and whether he accelerates development of existing licences will shape both his early domestic agenda and wider perceptions of Labour’s stance on energy policy.
