Britain’s Energy Policy Just Took A Turn

Britain’s new Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to approve new North Sea oil and gas drilling — directly reversing his own party’s manifesto pledge — and President Trump publicly pushed him to do it first.

Story Snapshot

Burnham is expected to announce new North Sea drilling licenses within days of taking office, breaking Labour’s 2024 pledge to ban new exploration.
President Trump called Burnham “extremely liberal” and urged him to open up North Sea drilling to save Britain’s economy.
Major trade unions and oil industry leaders formally asked Burnham to back drilling, warning Britain could import 80% of its energy needs within a decade.
A poll found 49% of Britons support a Norway-style approach to North Sea development — more than double those who want to keep the ban.

Trump Tells Britain to Drill — and Burnham May Listen

President Trump publicly called out Burnham before he even took office. Trump labeled the incoming prime minister “extremely liberal” and warned that Britain was “dying,” urging Burnham to open up North Sea drilling. Now, just days into his tenure, Burnham appears to be doing exactly that. His team asked the civil service to draw up new energy policy plans expected to be revealed as soon as next week, according to Bloomberg.

This is a sharp turn from where Labour stood just two years ago. The party’s 2024 manifesto was blunt: “We will not issue new licences to explore new fields.” It called new licenses pointless, saying they would “not take a penny off bills, cannot make us energy secure, and will only accelerate the worsening climate crisis.” Now Burnham is preparing to do the opposite. Whether that is a sign of good leadership or broken promises depends on who you ask — but the facts on the ground are hard to ignore.

Energy Security and Jobs Are Driving the Shift

The oil and gas industry and trade unions sent a formal letter to Burnham and all Labour members of Parliament, calling on them to “back North Sea oil and gas.” Two of Britain’s biggest unions — Unite and GMB — are leading the push. Their concern is straightforward: without new drilling licenses, thousands of workers in the energy sector could lose their jobs. Industry leaders also warn that Britain is on track to import 80% of its energy needs within a decade if domestic production keeps falling.

Specific fields are at the center of this debate. The Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields were previously approved but later overturned by courts, leaving investors in limbo. Industry groups want Burnham to give those projects the green light. They argue that producing oil at home creates fewer emissions than shipping it in from unstable regions overseas — a point the anti-drilling side has not directly answered with hard data.

Public Opinion Backs Drilling, But Labour Is Divided

A survey by Optimum found that 49% of Britons support letting North Sea development continue, similar to how Norway manages its oil fields. That is more than twice the number who want to keep the ban in place. Burnham has said publicly he has an “open mind” on the issue and is described as sympathetic to calls from both industry and Labour backbenchers who want more homegrown energy. That is a long way from a firm commitment, but it signals which direction the wind is blowing.

🇬🇧 After Keir Starmer’s rough ride left Labour hammered on energy bills and internal fights, Andy Burnham is already shifting gears.

He’s stepping in as PM and already signaling more North Sea oil & gas drilling, fast-tracking fields like Rosebank and Jackdaw while keeping the… pic.twitter.com/Ppm3eeMIIy

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 18, 2026

Not everyone in Labour agrees. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has argued that Britain should focus on clean energy rather than new drilling. That split inside the party is real, and it mirrors a debate conservatives in America know well — the clash between green ideology and practical energy policy. Britain tried the green-first approach under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and it left the country exposed to high energy costs and import dependency. Burnham seems to recognize that reality, even if his party’s left wing does not. Whether he follows through with action — not just an open mind — will define his early leadership.