Burnham says he told Trump UK will be pragmatic about North Sea oil

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has confirmed that he informed US President Donald Trump of his intention to adopt a "pragmatic approach" regarding North Sea oil and gas.

President Trump has consistently advocated for increased drilling in the UK and previously asserted that Burnham had committed to "open up the North Sea" during their initial phone conversation.

When questioned about Trump's remarks, the new prime minister stated, "There is a resource there. When people are struggling - you can't ignore that and hence me indicating that to the president."

Burnham has faced pressure from various trade unions, industry leaders, and some Labour Members of Parliament to support expanded drilling in the North Sea.

The Labour Party's 2024 general election manifesto pledged against issuing new drilling licenses but committed to honoring existing ones.

During his tenure as energy secretary in Sir Keir Starmer's government, Ed Miliband was a firm proponent of Labour's manifesto position. He previously characterized the license granted to Rosebank, the UK's largest undeveloped oil and gas field, as "climate vandalism." Miliband now serves as the foreign secretary in Burnham's administration.

While the government has not yet made any official announcements on the matter, Trump has commended what he perceives as a shift in the UK government's stance.

The day before Burnham assumed the role of prime minister, Trump posted on social media: "The People of Aberdeen, in Scotland, are dancing in the streets because the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has stated that he will be opening up, all the way, the invaluable North Sea Oil!"

This week, when asked about his discussion with Burnham, Trump stated, "He said he's going to open up North Sea oil. If he does that, you're going to be a wealthy country." He further added, "You buy a lot of your energy, as you know, from the North Sea. You buy from Norway and Norway gets it from the North Sea... Norway's got trillions of dollars in the bank." He concluded, "Scotland has a better part of the North Sea."

Responding to Trump's comments, Burnham said, "I indicated in the phone call that we had a week last Monday that I would take a pragmatic approach when it comes to the North Sea, and that is my intention as we go forward from here."

In response, Green Party leader Zack Polanski commented, "Our country is burning. Crops are failing. Thousands have been killed by extreme heat. Allowing new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea will worsen the climate breakdown putting more lives at risk and doing untold damage to our economy. It's not too late for Burnham to do the right thing and commit to leaving dangerous fossil fuels in the ground."

The Conservative and Reform parties have urged the government to approve more drilling in the North Sea, arguing it would lead to reduced energy prices. Last year, Tory Party leader Kemi Badenoch stated it would be "absurd" for the UK to leave "vital resources untapped."

Some Labour MPs have expressed reservations about increased drilling, with Rachael Maskell urging the government to "follow the climate science because we have got a climate emergency."

Simon Francis, from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, stated, "No household struggling with their energy bills will see a penny come off by drilling more from the North Sea. Gas is sold at the global market prices, so whatever is pumped out is sold to the highest bidder, not handed to British billpayers at a discount."

Sir Keir's government had previously made concessions, permitting "tie-backs" – production in unlicensed areas adjacent to or connected with already licensed areas.

Currently, the debate surrounding North Sea drilling primarily centers on two oil and gas fields, Rosebank and Jackdaw, both located in Scotland. Regulators approved drilling at these sites in 2022 and 2023, but these approvals were overturned in 2025 following a legal challenge. The legal proceedings are ongoing, but the government will eventually need to decide whether to allow companies to extract oil in these two areas. Other oil and gas licenses have been approved in recent years but largely remain undeveloped.

Should he wish to encourage further drilling in the North Sea, Burnham could also consider abolishing the Energy Profits Levy, also known as the windfall tax.