Burnham to announce plans for new North Sea oil and gas drilling

Andy Burnham will announce plans for new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea after he becomes prime minister, the BBC has been told. The Labour Party's 2024 manifesto - which the new leader said he would follow - had pledged to issue no new licences but to honour existing ones. At the heart of the debate are two oil and gas fields in Scotland - Rosebank and Jackdaw - which regulators approved in 2022 and 2023 under the then Conservative government, but were overturned in 2025 after a legal challenge. The announcement will form part of a flurry of measures from Burnham including plans to take water and energy companies under public control and a new council house-building programme. He is also expected to outline new measures that will give "people breathing space on the cost of living" and intends to make a "dynamic start... focused on delivering tangible change to people's lives as soon as possible". Some in Westminster had been expecting an announcement on oil and gas in Burnham's first speech as PM, after he takes over on Monday. But it is understood that plans are likely to be unveiled at a later date instead. A source close to Burnham said no final decisions in this area had