The UK's North Sea oil and gas industry has appealed to Andy Burnham, expected to become Britain's next prime minister within days, urging him to approve further offshore drilling as part of his agenda to tackle deindustrialisation. Industry group Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), joined by more than ten related business bodies and the GMB union, wrote to over 400 Labour MPs arguing that an "all-energy approach" combining fossil fuels with lower-carbon sources would make the energy transition stronger and fairer, while supporting manufacturing jobs and skills.

The letter comes as the fate of two major projects, Rosebank and Jackdaw, remains undecided under energy secretary Ed Miliband, who has previously called Rosebank "climate vandalism" but is reportedly now willing to approve Jackdaw to bolster his own leadership credentials. Both projects were licensed under the previous government, meaning approval would not breach Labour's manifesto pledge against new exploration licences. Jackdaw could supply gas to British homes as early as this winter, while Rosebank would take longer to develop and would mainly produce oil for export to European refineries. OEUK argues the choice is not whether Britain uses oil and gas but whether it produces more domestically rather than relying on imports, a view echoed by the Chemical Industries Association, while campaign group Uplift opposes further drilling.