Andy Burnham becomes prime minister, backs North Sea drilling expansion
Andy Burnham has become Prime Minister following Keir Starmer's departure from Downing Street, and has moved to authorise an expansion of oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. The decision marks a sharp reversal of Labour's previous position on fossil fuel extraction in British waters and has proved contentious, with the change of leadership and the accompanying policy shift both meeting notable public unease.
Polling taken around the transition indicates widespread public scepticism towards the new administration. The expanded drilling programme represents a clear break from the energy policy pursued under Starmer, though the precise scope and timetable for any new licensing rounds have not been confirmed.
- Andy Burnham replaces Keir Starmer as Prime Minister
- Burnham backs expanded North Sea oil and gas drilling
- Move reverses Labour policy; polling shows public scepticism
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Andy Burnham is a senior Labour politician who has served as Mayor of Greater Manchester and previously held Cabinet posts, including Health Secretary, under earlier Labour governments. He has now become Prime Minister after Keir Starmer left Downing Street, taking charge of a government that had, under Starmer, generally sought to limit new oil and gas licences in UK waters as part of its climate commitments.
The North Sea is the UK's main offshore oil and gas field, and decisions about drilling there touch on jobs in Scotland and the north-east of England, UK energy supplies, and the government's climate targets. Any move to expand exploration there is significant because it affects how much fossil fuel the UK produces domestically versus importing, and how the government balances economic and environmental pressures.
This matters because a change in political leadership combined with a reversal of a flagship energy policy raises questions about the new government's priorities and mandate, particularly amid signs of public unease about both the leadership change and the drilling decision.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that expanding North Sea licensing is a pragmatic response to energy security and cost-of-living pressures, reducing reliance on imported gas that is often more carbon-intensive to ship and burn. They point to the tens of thousands of jobs in Scotland and the North East tied to the offshore sector, and argue that domestic production can fund the transition to renewables while it is built out, rather than being sacrificed for a symbolic gesture. From this view, a Prime Minister adjusting policy in light of economic reality shows welcome flexibility rather than inconsistency.
The case against
Critics argue that expanding drilling contradicts the scientific consensus and the UK's own legally binding net zero commitments, sending a damaging signal to investors who have committed capital to offshore wind and other renewables on the understanding that fossil fuels would be wound down. They see it as a reversal of promises made to voters and a setback for climate leadership at a moment when many hoped for continuity. For them, the credibility of any government's climate pledges depends on resisting exactly this kind of reversal under short-term pressure.
Coverage
- Daily Mail — STEPHEN DAISLEY: Perhaps Burnham will surprise us all, but I doubt it. A PM with a clue? We’d have heard about it sooner, surely
- Daily Mail — Andy Burnham expected to announce more North Sea drilling as he replaces Keir Starmer as Prime Minister
- Daily Mail — Following the findings of our exclusive poll on the changes in Downing Street…it’s the new PM and a VERY sceptical public
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