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Andy Burnham to Announce North Sea Oil and Gas Plans Alongside Public Ownership and Housing Measures
Incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham will announce plans for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea on Monday. The move forms part of a set of policy measures that also includes public control of water and energy companies. It follows the Labour Party's 2024 manifesto pledge to avoid new licences while honouring existing ones.
Jul 18, 2:53 AM·1m read2 sources
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Andy Burnham will announce plans for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea when he becomes prime minister on Monday, BBC News reported. The announcement will form part of a flurry of policy measures from the incoming prime minister, including plans to take water and energy companies under public control and a new council house-building programme.
The Labour Party's 2024 manifesto pledged to not issue new licences but to honour existing ones.
Burnham said he would follow the 2024 Labour manifesto. Regulators approved the Rosebank oil and gas field in Scotland in 2022 and the Jackdaw oil and gas field in 2023 under the Conservative government, but those approvals were overturned in 2025 after a legal challenge. Current Energy Secretary Ed Miliband previously described the licence issued to Rosebank as "climate vandalism".
Burnham was issued with a letter from the oil and gas industry and trade unions calling on him to "back North Sea oil and gas". Burnham returned to Parliament a month ago in a by-election and was backed by 379 Labour MPs and all 11 trade unions affiliated to the party earlier this week.
