Andy Burnham, the newly installed Labour Party leader, has publicly pushed back against Energy Secretary Ed Miliband's net zero approach as he moves to approve new oil and gas drilling licences in the North Sea. The intervention marks a significant break with Miliband's stance on fossil fuel extraction and signals a shift in Labour's energy policy under its new leadership, highlighting internal tensions over how quickly Britain should wind down domestic hydrocarbon production.

The drilling plans come as Burnham also pursues other major policy changes, including proposals to devolve income tax powers to Labour mayors and a contested "death tax" scheme intended to fund social care, which he has said he is willing to spend significant political capital defending. The North Sea decision positions Burnham against Miliband, long seen as a champion of aggressive net zero targets, underscoring a broader recalibration of Labour's energy strategy since the leadership change.