# Burnham set to close North Sea to new oil and gas drilling

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/burnham-set-to-close-north-sea-to-new-oil-and-gas-drilling/
- Published: 2026-11-05T00:05:47+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T00:21:26+00:00
- Original publisher: The Independent (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/andy-burnham-north-sea-oil-gas-drilling-b3079447.html
- Topics: Politics

## Key points

- Burnham is expected to back a ban on new North Sea exploration licences.
- Existing licences, including Rosebank, would remain unaffected.
- Ministers say existing fields could yield 60 million barrels.

## Summary

Andy Burnham is set to back legislation that would prevent new oil and gas exploration licences in the North Sea, making the current moratorium harder for future governments to overturn. The Energy Independence Bill is intended to fulfil Labour’s manifesto pledge and would require a parliamentary majority to repeal.

The bill would not affect the already licensed Rosebank field or the recently approved Jackdaw project. Ministers say transitional energy certificates could allow more production from existing fields, potentially unlocking about 60 million barrels of oil and supporting hundreds of jobs. Burnham says the measures would strengthen energy security and help lower bills, while a Conservative critic argues they would increase reliance on imports.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.