Burnham Says Won’t Ignore North Sea in Hint at More UK Drilling

Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.HomePMN BusinessBurnham Says Won't Ignore North Sea in Hint at More UK DrillingPrime Minister Andy Burnham said he told President Donald Trump the UK won’t “ignore” its resources in the North Sea, suggesting that his government will pursue new drilling for fossil fuels.Author of the article: You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Andy Burnham Photo by Chris J. Ratcliffe /Photographer: Chris J. Ratcliffe(Bloomberg) — Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he told President Donald Trump the UK won’t “ignore” its resources in the North Sea, suggesting that his government will pursue new drilling for fossil fuels.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountOn a visit to Barrow, northwest England Burnham said he’d told the president last week that he would take a “pragmatic” approach “and that is my intention as we go forward from here.” “There is a resource there,” Burnham told reporters. “When people are struggling, we can’t ignore that. Hence me indicating that to the president.”Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againBurnham’s remarks suggest he is prepared to back new drilling for oil and gas, as Bloomberg reported earlier in July. Officials are exploring a range of options including approving proposals at the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields off the coast of Scotland, and the expansion of so-called tie-backs which allow further drilling on or near existing ones.Britain’s new premier spoke after Trump on Wednesday said Burnham had told him he was going to “open up the North Sea” for more drilling, a policy the president has repeatedly proposed. Trump said the prospect was “one very good thing,” adding: “You’re going to be a wealthy country, if he does it reasonably.”Trump had been critical of Burnham’s predecessor, Keir Starmer, for failing to back new projects in the North Sea. But the future of North Sea oil and gas has become even more of a political flashpoint since the start of the Iran War, which has prompted countries to turn to homegrown energy sources. Former Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who Burnham appointed as foreign secretary, had resisted calls from some corners of business and politics to allow new drilling licenses, instead ramping up renewables.Government officials expect Burnham eventually to back at least the Jackdaw project, but public consultations have recently been launched on Jackdaw and Rosebank so his government may not be able to formally approve them before they have run their course. That was a constraint that also bound Miliband, who was a staunch supporter of net zero policies though had also expressed a willingness to be pragmatic on North Sea oil and gas. New drilling would draw criticism from environmentalists and some on the left of the Labour Party who have opposed it on the grounds that it would damage Britain’s net zero commitments.Officials have argued that approving Jackdaw and Rosebank wouldn’t breach Labour’s pledge in its 2024 election manifesto not to award fresh licenses to explore new oil and gas fields, because they had been granted licenses under the previous Conservative government. Burnham has said he will stand by his party’s manifesto commitments.New Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh also said the government would take a pragmatic approach to the North Sea last week after she visited Aberdeen, where she met with executives from the oil and gas industry.—With assistance from Jessica Shankleman.This advertisement has not loaded yet.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.