Andy Burnham has signalled he is ready to approve new North Sea oil and gas drilling in one of his first moves as UK prime minister, prompting warnings of a Labour backbench revolt and criticism over the involvement of an Israeli company blacklisted by the UN.
During a call with US President Donald Trump, Burnham said the UK could not ignore North Sea resources while people are struggling, according to reports. He gave the strongest indication yet on Friday that he was minded to allow new drilling, just hours before the UN secretary-general warned that every new fossil fuel project makes heatwaves more dangerous. The UK is currently suffering through drought, fires and heatwaves.
The fields in question are Rosebank, off Shetland, and Jackdaw, off the Scottish coast. They were approved by the previous Conservative government in 2022 and 2023, but overturned in 2025 after a legal challenge. The decision had been blocked by former energy secretary Ed Miliband, who has now been moved to foreign secretary in Burnham's reshuffle.
Middle East Eye reports that Rosebank's stakeholder Ithaca Energy, which owns 20 percent of the field, is majority-owned by Israel's Delek Group. The UN human rights commissioner lists Delek on a database of companies whose activities in West Bank settlements raise particular human rights concerns. According to an investigation by The Ferret, Delek has already received more than $1bn in dividends from Ithaca's stake in six of the UK's ten largest oil and gas fields since 2020, and could receive over £200m more if Rosebank goes ahead. Delek also holds a contract worth hundreds of millions of pounds to supply fuel to the Israeli military. Amnesty International UK said granting concessions to a company linked to settlements would fly in the face of the UK's international legal obligations.
Trump welcomed the move, writing that it would turn the UK from a poverty-stricken disaster into one of the richest countries in the world. He had previously criticised Starmer's reluctance, saying all Starmer wanted was costly windmills. The White House said it was deeply concerned by Miliband's appointment.
Labour MPs and climate experts condemned the apparent support for drilling, with some fearing No 10 lacks up-to-date energy insight and does not fully recognise voters' climate concerns. The Guardian says Burnham risks the first revolt of his premiership. Greenpeace UK said how Burnham responds will be one of the defining tests of his premiership.
Burnham has also recently apologised for Labour's initial response to Gaza. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said it could not comment on individual projects, and Delek and Ithaca did not respond to requests for comment.