North Sea oil: Burnham vows pragmatic drilling approach

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Thursday he would take “a pragmatic approach” to oil and gas extraction in UK waters, after US President Donald Trump claimed Burnham had told him he would “open up North Sea oil”.

Burnham said he had indicated during a phone call with Trump a week earlier that he would take a pragmatic approach to the North Sea. “There is a resource there. When people are struggling, we can't ignore that,” he told reporters.

Trump said on Wednesday that Burnham had said “one very good thing” in their call. “He said he's going to open up the North Sea. Let's see if that happens,” Trump told reporters.

Labour took power in July 2024 promising not to issue new oil and gas drilling licences as it sought to move Britain away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy. Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister earlier this month, has said he will abide by the party's 2024 election manifesto commitments.

Supporters of more drilling argue that work under existing licences and applications made before the 2024 election, including at the Jackdaw and Rosebank sites, could proceed without breaching the manifesto. Those proposed North Sea projects face court battles and bureaucratic delays.

Friends of the Earth last week urged Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh to “hold the line against harmful fossil fuel expansion”, including Jackdaw and Rosebank. The government has launched public consultations on the projects, due to run until mid-August, as it re-evaluates their environmental impacts after legal challenges before deciding whether they can proceed.