Andy Burnham is expected to unveil plans for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea after officially becoming the United Kingdom’s prime minister on Monday.
The move represents a significant shift from Labour’s 2024 election manifesto, which pledged not to issue new oil and gas exploration licences while allowing existing ones to continue.
A major focus of the policy is expected to be the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields in Scotland. Although both projects received regulatory approval in 2022 and 2023 under the previous Conservative government, those approvals were overturned in 2025 following a successful legal challenge.
The North Sea announcement is set to be part of a broader package of policies expected from Burnham’s incoming administration. Other proposed measures include bringing water and energy companies under public ownership, launching a large-scale council house construction programme, and introducing initiatives aimed at easing the cost-of-living pressures facing households.
Further details of the drilling proposal have yet to be released, but the issue has remained one of the UK’s most debated energy topics. Critics of Labour’s previous position argued that restricting new drilling weakened the country’s energy security, especially as global conflicts contributed to rising energy prices.
The debate has also divided opinion within Labour, with some members advocating greater support for the oil and gas sector to protect jobs and keep energy costs down, while others continue to push for increased investment in renewable energy to strengthen long-term energy security and address climate change.
Ahead of the leadership transition, representatives of the oil and gas industry and trade unions urged Burnham and Labour lawmakers to support continued North Sea oil and gas production, arguing that doing so would demonstrate the government’s commitment to domestic manufacturing, industry, and the communities that have powered the country’s economy for decades.
Burnham secured the Labour leadership after receiving overwhelming backing from party lawmakers and affiliated trade unions. He is expected to announce his cabinet after taking office, with senior figures believed to be in contention for key government positions.
In recent remarks, Burnham pledged to restore hope through his administration, promising reforms that include expanding council housing, revitalising high streets, improving education, reforming social care, increasing public control of water and energy services, and devolving more powers away from central government.
