Stories

Sun, 19 Jul 2026

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 Is Burnham promising a new dawn for North Sea oil and gas?

The incoming PM is expected to announce fresh support for the North Sea from day one of his premiership.

* Labour's incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham will stick to the party's 2024 manifesto pledge to issue no new oil and gas licences, but honour existing ones.
* There will be a "change of emphasis" on North Sea oil and gas, with a focus on ensuring that the UK has its own "homegrown, clean, much cheaper energy".
* President Trump was premature in stating that Burnham would open up the North Sea for drilling, as no decision has been made yet.
* The new Prime Minister will not confirm approval for the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields on day one in the job due to ongoing legal challenges.
* Labour's 2024 election manifesto pledged to ban new oil and gas exploration licences, but a concession was made to allow "tie-backs" - production in unlicensed areas connected to infrastructure in already licensed areas.
* Options for Burnham include scrapping the Energy Profits Levy (EPL) or windfall tax, which has been criticized by the industry as making the North Sea one of the least favourable in the world for investors.