Overview
- On Monday President Donald Trump publicly urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to 'open up' the North Sea, saying Britain risks economic trouble if it keeps the fields closed and praising his phone call with the prime minister.
- Mr Burnham said he would take a 'pragmatic approach' to the North Sea after the July 20 call, a formulation that leaves the door open to some drilling without abandoning Labour's 2024 pledge not to issue new licences.
- Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has said the manifesto allows exploiting existing licences, and ministers are discussing limited technical options such as 'tie-backs' that extend output from approved fields rather than fresh licensing.
- Regulatory and legal steps remain in play: public consultations on contested projects including Jackdaw and Rosebank run into mid-August and the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) is due to offer advice before any decision.
- The dispute sets up a domestic political and diplomatic tug-of-war, with industry lobbying for approvals, campaigners warning of climate and reputational harm, and the government facing possible legal challenges if it shifts policy.