Andy Burnham has been told not to veer from Labour Manifesto’s and block more North Sea drilling following reports he is thinking about backing new oil and gas projects. Close allies of the expected next Prime Minister have said he plans to make a “dynamic” start to his debut as new Labour leader on Monday, when he officially takes over from Sir Keir Starmer.
The former Mayor of Manchester 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, in a speech in Downing Street. However, details of his plans remain unclear.
Reports indicate that could involve approving new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, with Mr Burnham said to be “open-minded” about such a move. But Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which Burnham has promised to honour, said the party would not issue new North Sea licences, and would “not take a penny off bills” or improve energy security while accelerating climate change.
View 3 ImagesSir Keir Starmer gives a speech outside 10 Downing Street announcing his resignation (Image: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Senior Green Party figures on Saturday urged the incoming prime minister not to break “one of Labour’s flagship manifesto commitments”. Green MP Adrian Ramsay said: “Andy Burnham says he takes the climate and nature crises seriously, but words are no substitute for action.
“With heatwaves causing deaths, wildfires and extreme weather across the country, approving new oil and gas drilling is exactly the wrong response and will do nothing to bring down energy bills.” The past week has seen a significant lobbying effort in favour of new licences, 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”. Enrique Cornejo, of industry association Offshore Energies UK, said: “While we use oil and gas, it is common sense that we prioritise our own production, our own jobs, value in our economy, delivered with lower emissions than imports.”
View 3 ImagesNorth Sea oil and gas production is in long term decline(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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.
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Support for new drilling could complicate Mr Burnham’s choice of chancellor, a decision he said on Friday he had not yet made, but of which one of the leading candidates is thought to be Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. He has been a strong supporter of Labour’s manifesto commitment on the North Sea, but reports suggest Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood may be in line for the crucial role instead.
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