Andy Burnham prepares to enter office amid widespread speculation that he will announce new North Sea oil and gas initiatives. However, immediate approvals for the contested Rosebank and Jackdaw fields remain unlikely, as both are undergoing regulatory review following successful legal challenges by environmental organisations that argue ministers failed to fully assess climate consequences from extracting and burning the fuel these fields would produce. The regulatory process remains in its final phases, with public consultations scheduled to conclude in August.

Beyond these high-profile decisions, Burnham faces multiple policy directions. Labour's pledge to prohibit new exploration licences, made in its 2024 election campaign, has already been enacted, though the government has allowed "tie-backs"—production in unexplored regions adjacent to existing licensed areas—as a compromise. The industry itself shows limited enthusiasm for entirely new exploration licences due to substantial capital demands and geological uncertainty. Industry operators have prioritised reform of the Energy Profits Levy, a 78 percent windfall tax imposed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which they contend discourages investment. Adjusting this tax would complement Burnham's reindustrialisation programme while attracting less environmental resistance than controversial field approvals, though it carries less political prominence.