Burnham's Pragmatic Gamble in the North Sea Prime Minister Andy Burnham's comments on his approach to oil and gas drilling in the North Sea have sparked alarm among environmentalists and some Labour MPs.
His promise of a "pragmatic" approach is viewed with skepticism, given the party's 2024 election manifesto pledge to rule out new drilling licenses.
Burnham's comments came amid a stark reminder of the climate crisis: firefighters battled a major heathland fire in Suffolk on the same day half of England was declared officially in drought.