Andy Burnham latest: New Labour leader plans policy blitz – including revived oil and gas drilling in North Sea

New Labour leader Andy Burnham plans a policy blitz once he becomes prime minister on Monday – including new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.

Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which the new leader has said he would follow – pledged to not issue new licences but to honour existing ones.

The fate of two oil 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, have become a controversial topic within Labour.

Some MPs calling for more drilling to help keep energy bills down, while others have insisted increasing renewable energy is the way to improve energy security. The BBC reported that an announcement could be made as soon as Monday.

It is believed the announcement will form part of a glut of new policy measures, including plans to take public control of water and energy companies and fresh council house-building programme.

As he was crowned the leader of the Labour Party on Friday, Mr Burnham declared that he was “ready to lead” the country and promised to “answer the calls” of the public.